


Break In

by NemesisNyx



Series: Tuilelaith [2]
Category: Star Wars Legends: Knights of the Old Republic (Video Games)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2020-02-07 04:28:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 31
Words: 36,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18613141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NemesisNyx/pseuds/NemesisNyx
Summary: story of my smuggler Tuilelaith in the vanilla part of swtortitle comes from the song "Break In" by Halestorm





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Tuilelaith is body type 4, that becomes important later in the story, it's why i specified. :)
> 
> again, all my color descriptions come from : https://digitalsynopsis.com/design/color-thesaurus-correct-names-of-shades/
> 
> Aric's customization is the 3rd one you get at the end of Ord Mantell

Tuilelaith hated cantinas on backwoods planets. Hells, she hated cantinas in general, strange for a woman in her line of work who dealt with mostly deals hashed out over drinks or in seedy back alleys or in abandoned warehouse districts. But here she was, hating cantinas.

 

If it wasn’t for the fact that she wasn’t alone, she would’ve already been long gone by now, with or without her ship.

 

“Tuilelaith Agrona.”

 

Tuilelaith inwardly cringed. She knew that deep voice from anywhere. “Aric Jorgan.” Turning around she spotted him. Butterscotch fur, black pattern, white furred chin, and judging marigold eyes. “How’ve you been?” She tapped her fist on the bar, she was not going to show any sign of weakness to this man.

 

“What are you doing here?” No greeting, no polite small talk, just straight to the point, per usual.

 

Tuilelaith was tired. She was so tired. Tired of this conversation that had yet to start, tired of choices that were thrust upon her. Just tired. “Oh, just helping the war effort in any way I can.”

 

Aric harrumphed and crossed his arms, glaring at her. “Yeah, you’re big on altruism.”

 

Tuilelaith shook her head. Talking to Aric Jorgan was never easy, not in all the years she’s known him but after what happened five years ago, it seemed like it was impossible now. “So, it’s illegal now to bring supplies to help the good soldiers of the Republic?”

 

“It depends on where the supplies came from.” His eyes narrowed.

 

Tuilelaith pursed her lips. And here they were. “Well, if it makes you feel better. The weapons were stolen from under guard and not given to the seps. So, you’re welcome.”

 

Aric stared at her as he tried to reason out what she said.

 

“ _Paying your tab, honey?_ ” Ryn, the best bartender outside of Rishi, asked with a smile on her face.

 

“Sure am. Leaving this place for greener pastures.” Tuilelaith’s smile didn’t reach her eyes as she passed Ryn the credit stick but Ryn ignored the subtext like the fantastic bartender she was.

 

“ _Sure thing_.” Ryn winked. “ _And I got that to-go box for you too_.”

 

“Thanks.” Again, Tuilelaith’s false smile.

 

“Closing out your tab?” Aric’s suspicious nature was showing through.

 

“Yep, we’re - I’m,” Tuilelaith corrected herself at the last minute, “out of here on the first available shuttle.”

 

“‘We’re’?” Shit, of course he caught that.

 

“Yeah, decided to pick up a second in command if you will. His boss kinda got murdered so I felt bad for the kid.” Not exactly a lie and if anybody asked it was one hundred percent true that Tuilelaith had decided to hire Corso; he was a good kid.

 

Aric continued to glare at her even as Ryn brought the to-go box and handed Tuilelaith back her credit stick.

 

“ _Y’all take care, hun_.” Ryn smiled.

 

“Thanks.” Tuilelaith smile was more sincere this time. “Later, Aric.” With that parting remark, Tuilelaith turned around and walked away from Aric Jorgan.

 

She made it all the way outside the cantina before his hand around her elbow stopped her. Without thought, Tuilelaith yanked her arm out of his grasp, dropped the to-go box, punching him in the face, knocking him to the ground, simultaneously pulling a blaster out.

 

“Don’t,” Tuilelaith had to calm her breathing, she was hyperventilating, “don’t.” She holstered her blaster, bending to pick up the to-go box. “Please.” She tacked on.

 

She wanted to offer a hand to help Aric get up, but the thought of touching him after she attacked him made her gorge rise and she wound up hugging herself instead, watching with a pained expression as her oldest -former- friend picked himself off the ground, dusting the dirt off.

 

“Alright, I won’t.” Aric agreed.

 

“Thanks.” Tuilelaith hated that she sounded close to tears. “Anyway, it was good to see you again.” A quick smile to play off the lie.

 

Tuilelaith got five feet away this time before Aric called out to her.

 

“Tuile!” The old nickname he gave her.

 

Tuilelaith turned to look at him, her face morphing into a joking smile. She had to lie. Always had to lie, even to him. “Haven’t heard that name in a while. Almost didn’t recognize it.”

 

Aric just looked at her, opening and closing his mouth as he tried to think of something to say.

 

“Mama,” a child’s voice calling out as Tuilelaith felt a small hand pull on her vest, “is that my lunch?”

 

Tuilelaith looked at her daughter. “It’s all our lunches, baby.” Kneeling, Tuilelaith ruffled her daughter’s mane. “Bevin, where’s Seeate*? I clearly remember tasking it to watch you.”

 

Bevin shrugged. “Corso and Seeate got to talking and I saw you.” Again, the shrug.

 

Tuilelaith closed her eyes, pulling her daughter into a hug. “Bev, I’ve told you, you can’t wander off planetside, alright? It’s not safe and I haven’t taught you to how to use a blaster yet.”

 

Bevin frowned. “But I know all the kicking fighting you taught me.”

 

Tuilelaith chuckled weakly. “I know, baby, but the people that would hurt you are bigger than you by a lot here. And I worry for you. You’re such a little poppet.”

 

Bevin’s facial expression morphed to one of mulish stubbornness.

 

“Please, for Mama? Be safe for me, ok? Stay with Seeate for me.” Tuilelaith smoothed down her daughter’s black mane.

 

“Ok, mama, I’m sorry.” And Bevin was sorry.

 

“It’s ok, poppet. I’m only a little mad.” Tuilelaith picked up her daughter, hugging her tight.

 

“That means I don’t get any desert and I have to polish Seeate’s sword.” Bevin sighed dramatically.

 

“Exactly.” Tuilelaith placed a kiss to her daughter’s forehead.

 

Aric cleared his throat, drawing the blue-eyed gaze of Tuilelaith and the marigold-eyed gaze of her daughter.

 

“Tuilelaith,” And he was back to using her full name.

 

“Aric, this is my daughter, Bevin. Bevin this is somebody I grew up with. Aric Jorgan. You call him by his rank. He’s Lieutenant Jorgan.” Tuilelaith nodded at her daughter, bolstering the little girl’s courage.

 

“Hello Lieutenant Jorgan, I’m Bevin Jorgan.” Bevin waved at Aric.

 

Tuilelaith noticed how Aric’s eyes widened before narrowing.

 

“Baby, why don’t you take the lunches back to Corso and Seeate while I talk to Lieutenant Jorgan, alright?” Tuilelaith placed Bevin back on the ground, handing the little girl the to-go box. “This is a big girl responsibility.”

 

Bevin’s face transformed into one of awe and pride. “Big girl responsibility?”

 

Tuilelaith nodded. “Big girl responsibility.”

 

Bevin grinned, turned and basically ran as fast as her legs could carry her, shouting that she was a big girl.

 

Tuilelaith straightened. “I was so drugged up when they asked what her name was. Your last name was the first that popped into my head. Sorry.”

 

Aric slowly nodded. “How old is she?”

 

Tuilelaith sighed. “She’s four.”

 

An uncomfortable silence fell as Aric did the math.

 

“She’s not yours.” Tuilelaith clarified. And it was the truth. Bevin wasn’t Aric’s no matter how much Tuilelaith might’ve wished otherwise.

 

Aric didn’t say anything, so she wasn’t sure if the news that Aric didn’t have a child was viewed as good or bad.

 

“Look, Aric, the shuttle is leaving.” Tuilelaith started backing away. “It really was good to see you again. And I’m glad my daughter could finally meet you. I’ve been wanting her to meet you for so long and now she has, and you’ve met her too, so, yeah.”

 

Aric blinked at her.

 

“Goodbye, Aric.” Tuilelaith waved and then fled. Again.

 

#

 

Tuilelaith Agrona. Aric never thought he’d see her again. Not after the court martial.

 

She aged well. Fur still golden with caf colored stripes, mane still coal black, eyes still the bluest blue. And her daughter, Bevin, looked exactly like her, except for the eyes, marigold eyes. Like his.

 

Her daughter. Her four-year-old daughter.

 

Aric hadn’t seen Tuilelaith in five years and when he does, she’s still as radiant as she was when she quit the Navy and she had a daughter.

 

A daughter that wasn’t his. But that would mean…

 

Aric felt suddenly nauseated at his revelation. Tuilelaith wasn’t just a whistleblower on the extortion and sexual harassment scandal, she was a victim.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seeate is the cartel companion droid C8-SC3


	2. Chapter 2

If there was one thing Tuilelaith hated it was having to exhibit her military training.

 

“Just download the information, Corso! I got us covered!” Tuilelaith hissed at her human partner, blasters pointed towards the door in case anybody came in.

 

“Cap, you’re the better slicer.” Corso reasoned.

 

It was true, Tuilelaith was the better slicer, but she was also the better marksman. “Corso, if you don’t want to get blasted full of holes, do what I ask. Please.”

 

Corso swallowed, turning back towards the terminal.

 

Tuilelaith and Corso had snuck into the Black Sun’s secret -not so secret- warehouse to download information on Skavak, so far, it was a miracle they hadn’t been discovered. But luck always ran out.

 

Tuilelaith listened intently, sounded like they weren’t the only ones robbing the Black Sun blind, they were just the least noisy.

 

“Done.” Corso came to stand next to Tuilelaith. “That’s all the terminals, Cap, we can go now. Right?”

 

Tuilelaith ignored his pleading look, somebody was coming.

 

“Corso, hide!” She pushed him behind a pillar as she ducked behind a table.

 

She watched as Corso pulled a blaster, she rearranged her grip on her personal blasters, the footsteps getting closer, loader.

 

“Sir, I could’ve sworn I heard voices.”

 

Tuilelaith closed her eyes. She knew that voice. Aric Jorgan. Almost five years of having no contact with the man and now she sees him twice in one month? The universe hated her.

 

“Same here, Jorgan, but there appears to be nobody in here. Check to make sure though.” A female voice instructed.

 

Tuilelaith and Corso exchanged glances, his was worried, hers was angry. She shook her head, telling him not to move.

 

There was the sound of two people in heavy armor moving about the room, searching for Tuilelaith and Corso.

 

Corso’s eyes widened, pointing, Tuilelaith looked over her shoulder to see who she could only assume was Aric almost at her hiding spot.

 

Tuilelaith and Corso had a wordless conversation. Sighing, her fingers clenched on the handles of her blasters, it wouldn’t do for Aric to catch her unawares.

 

“I can’t find anybody, boss.” Aric called.

 

“Alright, then let’s take care of this shit.” The female voice said.

 

Tuilelaith and Corso breathed sighs of relief. She lowered her blasters, intent on holstering them quietly when her ears picked up the sound of more people coming down the hallway.

 

Peeking around the table, Tuilelaith noticed that Aric and the female he was with weren’t noticing the Black Sun members sneaking up on them.

 

Tuilelaith and Corso exchanged looks. He shook his head, he wanted them to remain hidden.

 

Why couldn’t Aric hear the gang banger? He had heard Tuilelaith and Corso.

 

“Shit! Boss!” Aric drew his rifle, shooting the gang banger in the chest.

 

But the gang-banger wasn’t alone, there were ten more that ran in directly behind their fallen comrade.

 

Tuilelaith sighed, jerking her head towards the door, communicating with her eyes for Corso to make a run towards the exit. Corso nodded.

 

Reaffirming her grip on her blasters, Tuilelaith backflipped out of her crouched position and over the table, firing her blasters, all head-shots. A body twist mid-air had her landing on her feet.

 

“Now!” She yelled as she shot the final gang banger in the forehead.

 

She caught movement out of the corner of her eye as Corso made a break towards the door, she tossed a flash grenade to help distract the Black Sun members from pursuing him.

 

There was a moment of silence before a cry of anger arose up in the other parts of the warehouse, followed by many feet stomping, headed towards the room she, Aric Jorgan, and the mystery female occupied.

 

Aric and Tuilelaith looked at each other before all three dove behind the table Tuilelaith abandoned.

 

“Was it your idea to call down every gang member in the entire warehouse?” Aric asked, yanking off his helmet to glare at her.

 

Tuilelaith shrugged. “I got in to the warehouse without shooting anybody, then you and your superior officer came in sounding like stampeding gundark with your armor.” Gesturing derisively to Aric’s armor.

 

“Stampeding gundark? Really?” Aric rolled his eyes, peeking his head over the table to gauge how many enemies were entering the room.

 

“Yeah, loud, clunky, awkward. What would you call it?” Tuilelaith looked askance at him, grabbing one of his grenades and chunking it over the table.

 

“I wouldn’t have gone with gundark.” He muttered, peeking once again over the table.

 

Holding out a hand towards Tuilelaith, wiggling his fingers. Tuilelaith rolled her eyes, placing a flash grenade in his hand.

 

“Standard procedure?” He asked her, fingering the flash grenade.

 

“Haven’t done it in a while.” Tuilelaith couldn’t believe how easy it was falling back into their old camaraderie, their old rhythm.

 

“Just like riding a bike.” Aric shrugged. “Give us cover, boss?”

 

“Sure.” The female sounded curiously amused by the entire exchange.

 

Aric and Tuilelaith nodded at each other; Aric chunking the flash grenade over the table, Tuilelaith jumped over the table, screaming, running straight toward the gang members, tackling the one closest to her, Aric came from around the table, running at the nearest gang member, tackling him. Standing, back to back, both Tuilelaith and Aric with blasters in hand, mowing down the gang members in a circle.

 

Finally, the last gang member having fallen, Tuilelaith and Aric holstered their blasters.

 

Tuilelaith did not cringe or jerk away from Aric this time, but she did step away quickly. Only when she was focused on saving her own life could she forget her aversion to being touched by anybody that wasn’t female.

 

“Jorgan, you mind telling me what that was?” The unknown female voice approached Aric and Tuilelaith, doffing her helmet as she did.

 

Tuilelaith noted that the female was a pretty, young blonde cyborg.

 

“Lieutenant Valyes Kaytall.” She held her hand out to Tuilelaith.

 

“Captain Tuilelaith Agrona.” Tuilelaith and Valyes shook hands.

 

Aric snorted and crossed his arms. “Captain, yeah, sure.”

 

Tuilelaith grimaced, openly this time, dropping Valyes’ hand. “That was my rank before I quit the navy and since I’m the captain of my own ship then I’m still Captain Tuilelaith Agrona.”

 

Valyes looked between Aric and Tuilelaith. “Friends?”

 

“No.” Aric said harshly.

 

“Not anymore.” Tuilelaith said honestly, a sad smile playing briefly across her face before it disappeared to be hidden behind what she dubbed her lie smile.

 

The three of them stood there awkwardly.

 

“Anyway. Bye.” Tuilelaith nodded at Valyes before leaving.

 

She was out in the hallway and could see the door before Aric’s voice stopped her.

 

“Tuilelaith,” he stopped, close enough to Tuilelaith she could feel his body heat, but he wasn’t touching her.

 

“What do you want, Lieutenant?” Tuilelaith noted the quick grimace on Aric’s face.

 

“It’s Sergeant now.” He ground out.

 

“Sorry.” Tuilelaith knew there was a story, but she didn’t ask. She didn’t have the right to ask. Not anymore.

 

Aric shook his head. “I would like to talk to you. Catch up.”

 

Tuilelaith just stared at him. “Why?”

 

“Because I made some wrong assumptions about you and I’d like to apologize.”

 

Tuilelaith’s eyes widened. Aric Jorgan wanted to apologize? But he never did that. The assumptions he made about her must be really horrible. “Yeah, ok.”

 

There was a slight upturn of Aric’s lips. “Frequency still the same?” It was probably too much to hope that she hadn’t changed it.

 

“Yeah.” Tuilelaith looked away, embarrassed.

 

Aric’s smile widened. “I’ll give you a call when I’m free. We can meet for drinks?”

 

Tuilelaith caught herself nodding. “I’d like that.”

 

“Good.” Aric smiled wider before turning away. “I’ll see you later.”

 

Tuilelaith could only nod, a real sincere smile on her face. It felt weird.


	3. Chapter 3

Tuilelaith looked at her smashed holocommunicator. Smashing it probably wasn’t the best idea she had but she couldn’t talk to Aric, couldn’t mend their broken friendship. She couldn’t.

 

“Uhh, Cap, want me to fix that for you?” Corso had watched her smash it once they got back to the cantina to talk to Pollaran, he didn’t make a comment on it.

 

“No. No, thank you, Corso.” Tuilelaith smiled at Corso’s continued confusion.

 

“Alright.” He smiled back.

 

Corso Riggs was probably the cutest human male she had ever seen. Too bad he was eight years younger than her. Too bad she hated being touched.

 

“Corso, you’re adorable.” She said suddenly, just to watch Corso blush and stutter.

 

“Thanks, Cap. You’re adorable too.” He smiled at her, sweetly and honestly.

 

Tuilelaith laughed and wished she could ruffle his hair. “Thanks.”

 

#

 

Valyes was trying to ignore her subordinate’s increasing anger at not being able to reach somebody over holo.

 

“Bum frequency?” She finally asked.

 

Aric shook his head. “No, it’s ringing but it stops. I think the holo is broken.”

 

“That can happen. No telling how many times I’ve accidentally smashed my own holo.” Valyes reasoned, lost in thought as she tried to actually count how many times she had broken her own holo.

 

Frowning, Aric left his CO to her thoughts. He had been thinking about Tuilelaith almost constantly since he saw her on Ord Mantell. When he wasn’t thinking about capturing the Havoc traitors, he was thinking about Tuilelaith. The way the sun glinted off her black mane, the pained look in her eye as she hugged herself after pulling a blaster on him.

 

There were so many things he gotten wrong in the past five years. Even if Tuilelaith hated him and never wanted to speak to him again he needed to apologize, even if apologizing was a selfish thing to do. He knew apologizing to her for not trying to reach out to her sooner, for assuming she was in on the scheme wouldn’t assuage his own guilt. But apologizing couldn’t hurt. Could it?

 

Frustrated, he almost chunked his holo over the side of the taxi stand.

 

“I’m sure she’ll get her holo fixed in no time, Jorgan.” Valyes clapped Aric on the shoulder in easy friendship.

 

“Yeah.” He wasn’t so sure.

 

Tuilelaith never made anything easy, he didn’t see why a simple drink and apology would be any different.


	4. Chapter 4

“Risha, babe,” Tuilelaith ran a hand over her hair, “you could’ve just holoed, ya’know.”

 

It wasn’t that Tuilelaith didn’t like Risha, the human reminded Tuilelaith of one of her younger cousins, it was Risha didn’t seem to realize that holos existed.

 

“Yours is still smashed.” Risha arched an eyebrow.

 

“Corso’s is fine though.” Tuilelaith pointed out.

 

“Maybe I just like hearing your voice?” Risha winked at her.

 

Tuilelaith rolled her eyes. She wasn’t sure if Risha was a lesbian, bisexual, pansexul, or just liked to cause anarchy by flirting with everything that breathed but it was beginning to grate in Tuilelaith’s nerves. “Why am I here, Risha?”

 

Risha must’ve heard something in Tuilelaith’s voice because the woman just shrugged, her game over. “Your sister’s here to get Bevin. Figured you’d want to know.”

 

Tuilelaith felt her eyelid twitching. “Thank you.”

 

#

 

Aric Jorgan did not like Taris, but then again, he wasn’t sure anybody in their right mind liked Taris.

 

“Hey, Jorgan, isn’t that your not-friend?” Valyes pointed in the direction of the spaceport.

 

Aric sighed and looked, looked again. Sure enough, it was Tuilelaith having a loudly worded discussion with a customs officer.

 

“What’s she done now?” Aric narrowed his eyes as he watched.

 

Tuilelaith was up in the custom officer’s face, or as close as her short stature would allow her to be. Unwittingly, Aric started walking closer to the argument still watching, noticing a certain unnamed tension in Tuilelaith’s body. He made two observations, the first was Tuilelaith was uncomfortable being so close to somebody she viewed as a male authority figure, the second was that it didn’t matter because whatever angered her was worth the closeness.

 

He was ten yards away when another customs officer came out of an office dragging Bevin by the arm, the child was struggling to get back to Tuilelaith, but the customs officer wasn’t letting her.

 

“Hey! What are you soldiers doing to that child?” Aric barked.

 

The two custom officers froze, turning to look as an angry male Cathar barreled down on them.

 

“This woman,” the one that seemed to be in charge, an Agent Soganti, pointed imperiously at Tuilelaith, “is trafficking in illegal goods and as such I am taking this child into custody to prevent her from getting in harm's way.”

 

“Listen you villainous fool born wagtail,” Aric always admired Tuilelaith’s ability to form an insult, “as I told your equally brainless lackey, that is my daughter and under Article Twelve, subsection Besh* of the Children Protective Services Statute put into effect six years ago by the Senate, you have no right to take her away from me. First is you have no evidence whatsoever that I am doing anything illegal. Second is that she is in no way in any danger since she’s just been sitting on my ship until thirty minutes ago when she left my ship so she could go to her aunt’s ship. And thirdly, it is not in your job description to take children into custody. You are a customs officer, only Jedi and Children Services can take a child into custody.” Tuilelaith hissed, her body bowing up, readying to launch itself at the two men preventing her from getting to her daughter.

 

The customs officers looked at Tuilelaith in shock, they had been convinced she hadn’t known what they were attempting to do was illegal.

 

“And if you’re so concerned for my daughter’s safety then you would’ve called one of the random Jedi running around the planet to help you and since you didn’t,” Tuilelaith took an uncomfortable step closer to Agent Soganti, her body tensing even more, “then you know what you’re doing is illegal and you were just hoping that you could frighten me into doing something, which is at best extortion and at worst entrapment.”

 

Agent Soganti’s eyes widened, indicating that what she accused him of was the truth.

 

“Is that true?” Valyes spoke up, having followed Aric.

 

Agent Sognati looked at Valyes, saw the Havoc badge on her shoulder and cringed.

 

“No. Of course not.” Agent Sognati said in full bravado.

 

“Then you have no reason to keep the girl. Do you?” Valyes’ smile promised many unpleasant things.

 

The customs officer holding Bevin’s arm leaned closer to his CO. “You told me this was legal.”

 

Agent Soganti flushed. “Let the girl go back to her mother.”

 

At those words, Bevin simultaneously bit the lackey’s arm while kicking him, causing him to yelp and drop Bevin’s arm. Bevin ran straight at her mother.

 

“If that’s all, I suggest you two leave.” Valyes said, pointing in the general direction of random offices.

 

Agent Soganti glared at Valyes, Aric, and Tuilelaith before stomping away. The lackey smiled in apology before following behind his superior.

 

Tuilelaith waited until the two customs officers were gone before she was on the ground, hugging Bevin tightly to her, a new type of tension taking over. “Are you ok? Did he hurt you?”

 

“He squeezed my arm too hard is all.” Bevin answered honestly.

 

“He did, did he?” Tuilelaith glared murderously at the door the two officers retreated behind.

 

“Mama, I’m fine. It’s just a little bruise.” Bevin patted her mother’s cheek before placing a small kiss on it.

 

Tuilelaith closed her eyes. “You sure?”

 

Bevin nodded, whispered, “I’m sure mama, please don’t get arrested again for beating up mean people.”

 

Tuilelaith let out a weak chuckle. “Ok, baby, I won’t get arrested for beating up mean people again.” She pulled her daughter in for another hug, kissing the top of her head. “Let’s get you to your Aunt Nan, hmm?”

 

Bevin nodded, immediately brightening.

 

“Tuile,” Aric spoke quietly, using Tuilelaith’s nickname out of habit, once again drawing identical looks from mother and daughter, “I’d like to talk about what happened.” He smiled at Bevin; a small warmth sparked in his chest when Bevin smiled back.

 

Tuilelaith stood up, holding Bevin in her arms, studying Aric intently, her eyes flickered to Valyes briefly before going back to Aric. “Alright. Cantina, an hour.”

 

Aric nodded. “Cantina, an hour.”

 

Tuilelaith inclined her head, turning back towards the spaceport.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Besh: the letter "b" in aurabesh, the alphabet in this universe


	5. Chapter 5

Tuilelaith did not want to meet Aric at the cantina, but she promised in front of her daughter and as she was trying to teach her daughter morals and ethics, she couldn’t not go. Checking her chrono she noticed she was five minutes early, walking up to the cantina she saw Aric was already there, leaning against the wall just beside the entrance, she tried not to read anything into the act of him visibly perking up as he scented her getting near.

 

“I figured you’d want to talk privately.” He shrugged, scratching the back of his head, now unsure if he made the right decision.

 

She nodded. “Thank you.”

 

He gestured for her to continue walking.

 

They walked in silence, neither sure how to start the conversation. Knowing somebody well for twenty-five years then almost not at all for five didn’t make talking easy.

 

“Thank you for earlier. For helping me with the customs assholes.” Tuilelaith offered.

 

“No problem. Looked like you had it well in hand.” Aric sent her a quick smile. “I honestly forgot how awesome you were at insulting people.”

 

She chuckled weakly. “Yeah, that never really went away.”

 

They were close to the farms and the pond just inside the base, there was a railing overlooking the pond, Tuilelaith went to lean on it. Not that the pond was more than a glorified mud hole but still, it was nice having something that didn’t look toxic.

 

“Tuile,” He started, leaning on the railing next to her, trying to ignore the way she tensed at his proximity. “I’d like to apologize for getting angry at you five years ago and for blaming you when it wasn’t your fault.” He turned his head to look at her profile.

“The extortion scheme, the court martial, the sexual harassment cover-up.”

 

Her mouth morphed into a bitter smile. “Was there an actual apology in there somewhere?” She joked.

 

“I’m sorry.” Aric was sincere. “I didn’t know.”

 

“And I didn’t give you a chance to ask.” Tuilelaith ran a hand over her face. “Apology accepted, Jorgan. I know I didn’t help matters by quitting and fleeing. I’m sorry, too.”

 

“Jorgan? Not Aric?” Aric knew, he knew he hadn’t been a very good friend, in fact, he’d been an awful friend, believing the worst of Tuilelaith but it hurt to hear her call him by his last name.

 

“Aric was my friend five years ago.” Tuilelaith turned to look at him. “I don’t know you now.”

 

Aric nodded. “I deserve that.”

 

She sighed sadly, shaking her head. “No, you don’t. You deserve the truth. You deserve an explanation of why I ran away.”

 

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Aric didn’t need an explanation of why Tuilelaith kept tensing up whenever a male was too close to her, why she reacted badly when faced with authority. He could figure it out. She was one of the many, many victims. He didn’t need to know exacts.

 

“He threatened you.” She started out quietly. “He was one of the officers in charge of promotions for infantry. Said that if I told he’d make sure you never advanced, that you’d be stuck being a sergeant until you died.” Her hands white-knuckled the railing, he wanted so badly to touch her but knew he couldn’t. “I couldn’t be the reason you never advanced.” She continued, crying, swiping at her tears angrily, she wished she could bury her head in Aric’s chest. “And me, being the idiotic idealistic moron that’s been in love with you since we were six believed him.” The part about her love for him slipped out but she couldn’t think of another reason why the threats worked but the truth. “He took my emotions and he manipulated me. Said he knew I was in love with you, he’d make sure that you never loved me back.” Tuilelaith laughed bitterly. “That part of the threat held no heat, I knew you’d never love me. With the exception of one drunken tryst two nights before-,” she paused, swallowed, “which you touted as a massive mistake, you never looked at me twice.”

 

Aric opened his mouth to say something, anything, but she shook her head.

 

“I believed him when he said he could ruin you and I couldn’t,” she was begging Aric to understand, “I couldn’t be the reason you didn’t advance. But I couldn’t not say anything, I knew you’d understand, and I blew the whistle. I had no idea how many people were involved.” Shaking her head, she consciously loosened her grip around the railing. “I just wanted him stopped.” Sniffling, wiping her nose on her sleeve she glanced at Aric. “I kept thinking you’d know, you’d find out, you’d smell him on me, but you never did. And part of me was glad, but most of me wasn’t.”

 

“Who?” He asked after a while.

 

“Bevin’s father.” Tuilelaith closed her eyes, this was the part she hated talking about, this was the real reason she ran. The shame of getting pregnant in such a manner, the fear of Aric hating her. She turned big pleading eyes on him, begging for him to not hate her, to understand so she didn’t have to say it.

 

“I don’t understand.” He whispered. He knew that Tuilelaith was raped, he figured that out on Ord Mantell upon seeing Bevin, but he didn’t understand what Tuilelaith was trying to tell him.

 

“He got me while I was in Heat, Aric.” The truth, the horrible truth.

 

Aric gagged, quickly vomiting into the conveniently located pond, he saw red he was so angry. No wonder she got pregnant, no wonder she was ashamed. It was impossible for a female Cathar to not respond to a male when in Heat. The fucker waited until her body was willing to take any strong male DNA then took advantage.

 

“You thought I’d hate you for something that wasn’t your fault?” He knew that was why she ran. The circumstances of her pregnancy. “I could never hate you for that. You were my best friend; you were more than that.”

 

“How was I to know any different? My own mother hated me; she still does.” Tuilelaith hugged herself.

 

“Your mom is a dumbass!” Aric shouted, banging his fists on the railing. “He used you! Then he emotionally manipulated you to keep his disgusting secret. None of it was your fault.” He spit out more vomit.  “And I’m glad you didn’t tell me until now.”

 

Tuilelaith looked at him in shock. “Why?” Her question barely audible.

 

“Because I would have killed him for laying a finger on you.” He wanted to touch her so badly, hug her so much, nuzzle her hair, pour out his heart, make all her pain go away but he couldn’t, he could only help her as much as she would let him. “Tuile,” Aric wiped his mouth with his sleeve, his free hand reaching towards her, stopping when she tensed up more. “May I hug you?”

 

Tuilelaith took deep breaths. This was Aric. Her best friend for twenty-five years. The man she was still in love with despite everything. He would never harm her. He just informed her that he would’ve killed her attacker, which was the most comforting thing anybody could’ve said.

 

“You can try.” She stated quietly, unsure if she’d react badly to a hug.

 

Aric slowly turned her to face him, hands barely touching her arms, careful, so careful not to freak her out, to trigger a memory. Slowly, ever so slowly he wrapped his arms loosely around her, pressing her face gently into his chest.

 

“I could never hate you. It wasn’t your fault.” He nuzzled her hair, closing his eyes as her familiar scent washed over him.

 

“I missed you.” Tuilelaith whispered, her hands clutching his shirt. “I missed you so much.”

 

This, this is what she missed the past five years. Being held, being loved. She only allowed Bevin to touch her and it wasn’t the same as being held by Aric. She missed being close to him so much.

 

“I missed you too.” Closing his eyes, he held her a little tighter but still loose enough that she could break out of his hold easily. “Please, let me be your friend again. Please?” He uttered into her hair.

 

Tuilelaith pulled back enough to meet his gaze. Agony, pure agony in his eyes. Agony at being a shitty friend, agony at the knowledge of what happened to her, agony of not being able to hold her properly.

 

“I’d like that.” The smile on her face was the first real smile not induced by Bevin she’d smiled since Coruscant.

 

Again, so slowly so as not to frighten her, Aric pressed their foreheads together, his hands petting her hair, her back, any part of her he could reach. He couldn’t stop the trilling in his throat when he felt her hands tentatively begin petting him back, stroking his neck and skull. This is what he missed for five years, not being near his best friend, the woman he loved.

 

Aric still loved her, he never stopped. He didn’t think he ever could.

 

Too soon for both of them, Tuilelaith pushed Aric away, but gently.

 

“That’s long enough.” She smiled sadly at him. “For now.”

 

“For now?” Aric dropped his arms immediately, taking a step back, seeing her lose tension as he did so. “Does that mean I get to hug you more in the future?” _Please_.

 

Tuilelaith nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yes. But it’s gonna take a while.” She had to warn him, give him an out.

 

“I’m here for as long as it takes.” He promised, meaning every word.

 

She bit her bottom lip but nodded any way. “For as long as it takes?”

 

“Promise.”

 

Her smile was sweet even as it was unsure.


	6. Chapter 6

Her holo was beyond repair and she didn’t have the spare credits to buy a new one. Although, the credits she spent so Bevin could attend the pre-med school was worth it even if her daughter decided against a career in the medical field.

 

“Fuck.” Maybe she could borrow Risha’s since the human never used hers.

 

“Here.” Aric thrust a package under her nose. “For you.”

 

Tuilelaith blinked at the package: square, wrapped in brown flimsie with a twine bow. “Uh.”

 

“I missed your birthday for four years, so, here.” Aric scratched his chin on his shoulder.

 

Tuilelaith smirked at the old gesture, the gift must embarrass Aric. “I didn’t get you anything.”

 

“You forgave me and we’re friends again. That’s all the birthday gifts I need.” Aric coughed and scratched his chin on his shoulder again.

 

He was embarrassed.

 

Tuilelaith purred as she opened the box, prying off the lid she saw that nestled inside was a crimson holocommunicator, brand new and shiny. “Aric?”

 

“I bought you a new one because I know you probably smashed your old one.” Aric laughed when he saw her narrowed gaze. “It’s what you do Tuile. Every time you don’t want to talk to me you smash your holo.” He tapped the box. “This is a SpecForces military grade holo, it is basically unsmashable. The only way to destroy it would be to chunk it in an active volcano or throw it in some impenetrable place. Like under a Hothan lake. But even then, it’d take about seven years to die. Battery life of that thing is phenomenal.”

 

Tuilelaith looked down and away. “You were serious about being my friend again.” It wasn’t a question, more of a realization that Aric wanted to keep in touch with her, be a part of her life again.

 

Aric slowly tucked a strand of mane behind her ear, lifted her chin forcing her to meet his eyes. “Of course I am, Tuile.”

 

They shared an uncertain smile.

 

“Thank you, Aric.” She pulled away from his hand, looking back at the holo. They had spent every day on Taris somehow getting her used to his presence, Aric could touch her face and mane if he went slowly enough.

 

Aric dropped his hand, immediately bringing it to his side. “Happy birthday.”

 

Tuilelaith chewed her bottom lip before taking a half a step forward, standing on her tiptoes and pressing a quick kiss to the corner of Aric’s mouth. “Happy birthday, Aric.” She whispered before placing another kiss to his cheek.

 

She took a step back, refusing to look at him, knowing she’d start to cry if she did.

 

“You didn’t have to do that.” He said softly.

 

Tuilelaith shook her head. “No. You’re the one always touching me and it’s unfair.” She sniffled. “It’s going to take a while. But I want to touch you, Aric, I want us to have the relationship we had five years ago.”

 

Aric said nothing, unsure of what to say, but his hands twitched, spasming, wanting to touch her.

 

“Baby steps.” Tuilelaith said quietly, slipping her hand into his.

 

“Baby steps.” He agreed. He could wait. He would wait. He’d wait forever.  


	7. Chapter 7

Nar Shaddaa was probably one of the worst places in the entire galaxy that wasn’t outright controlled by the Empire.

 

“Ugh!” Tuilelaith grumbled, putting her sunglasses on. “It’s always too fucking bright here.”

 

Corso gave her a sidelong glance but didn’t comment. “So, Cap, what we doing in this particular cantina?”

 

Tuilelaith cast a sidelong glance as her co-pilot. “You’re here for a drink. I’m here to meet somebody.”

 

Corso frowned. Was Tuilelaith talking about Sergeant Jorgan? She and Sergeant Jorgan had been talking on a daily basis ever since Taris; long conversations that involved giggling and ‘girl talk’ with Risha. Whatever ‘girl-talk’ meant. Either way, Risha and Tuilelaith would stop talking the minute Corso would enter the galley.

 

“And, no, it’s not Aric.” Tuilelaith smiled indulgently at Corso.

 

Lately, she'd been getting the feeling that Corso was jealous of Aric. Not that she’d shown any interest in Corso other than the occasional compliment about his marksmanship and piloting.

 

Corso clicked his tongue, crossing his arms.

 

“No, I’m not going to tell you either. Now be a good boy and go get a drink. I’ll be right here and within sight if I get into trouble.” Tuilelaith’s smile was full of teeth.

 

Corso shuddered -one did not want to be the focus of that particular Cathar ‘smile’-and walked to the bar.

 

Tuilelaith let out a breath she hadn’t been aware she’d been holding, checked her chrono. Balkar should’ve been here by now.

 

#

 

“How’s my favorite lady?” Jonas Balkar asked, sliding onto a stool across from Tuilelaith.

 

“You’re late.” She didn’t even look up from her datapad.

 

“There was an issue with some Jedi.” Balkar waved his hand in dismissal.

 

Tuilelaith clicked her tongue and said nothing.

 

“So, anything new and interesting about Risha?” Jonas asked.

 

Tuilelaith shook her head. “No. I don’t think she’s wanting to get Drayan’s treasure just for funsies though. There’s a reason behind it.”

 

“An Imperial reason?” Jonas arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. Tuilelaith often wondered how long it took Balkar each morning to get coiffed.

 

Tuilelaith shook her head. “No. Risha’s not Imperial.”

 

Jonas nodded, he took Tuilelaith’s word for it, the woman had never been wrong about somebody before. “Anything from our friend Darmas?”

 

Sighing, Tuilelaith sat back, scratching her chin on her shoulder. With Aric it meant he was embarrassed, with her it meant she was troubled about something. “I can’t get a good bead on him. He seems like your normal obsequious flirt but there’s something there. Like he’d switch sides if it meant more credits.”

 

“Keep an eye on him. Got it.” Jonas winked at Tuilelaith. “So, dollface, got any pointers on how to deal with my next appointment?”

 

“I can only help if you tell me who you’re dealing with.” She shrugged. She didn’t really care who Balkar’s next meet-up was.

 

“Havoc. Aren’t you military types all the same?” Jonas winked at her again, flashing a charming smile.

 

Tuilelaith arched a brow and pretended like her heart wasn’t beating out a samba in her chest. “Havoc is SpecForces, I was navy. Big difference, sweetheart.”

 

Jonas placed a hand over his heart. “Oh, dollface, you wound me.”

 

“Sure. Whatever.” Tuilelaith shrugged again.

 

The table fell silent.

 

“Stick to the facts, don’t flirt unnecessarily and if you do flirt don’t expect a response. Also, don’t expect the full truth either but don’t get mad at them if they don’t divulge everything. They’ll just be doing their job.” There, that was all the help she would offer on how to deal with the military. Although, if Balkar hadn’t learned that much by himself then how did he get to be head of operations on Nar Shaddaa.

 

“Know this from personal experience?” Jonas was always curious about Tuilelaith’s past.

 

Tuilelaith clicked her tongue again. “It’s just how the military is, sweetheart, they don’t trust spooks. And you’re one of the spookiest.”

 

Jonas chuckled. “Fair enough.” He checked his chrono. “Anyway, you should get going. Don’t want my two contacts to meet.”

 

“Oh, I don’t think you’re gonna have much of a say in that, Balkar.” Tuilelaith smoothed down her hair and straightened her shirt when she saw Havoc enter the cantina.

 

Aric Jorgan was the sexiest thing alive in his armor as he followed behind Lieutenant Kaytall. Another female cyborg* brought up the rear.

 

“Shit.” Balkar hastily stood up, moving so that he blocked Havoc’s view of Tuilelaith.

 

Tuilelaith took it as an opportunity to duck under the table and crawl as quickly and quietly as possible behind the bar.

 

“Uh, Cap, what are you doing?” Corso whispered with a worried look at the bartender.

 

Tuilelaith waved her hand in dismissal, indicating for Corso to be as quiet as possible.

 

Corso nodded and continued staring into his drink, he hadn’t missed Havoc’s arrival either.

 

#

 

Aric was surprised to see Tuilelaith talking to Balkar in the cantina but with the way Balkar was hitting on both Valyes and Elara it would make sense. What didn’t make sense was Balkar seemed to be shielding Tuilelaith from Havoc’s view, or that Tuilelaith ducked and crawled under tables to get away from them.

 

It was suspicious.

 

#

 

“They gone?” Tuilelaith asked after a few minutes, she had taken the opportunity to rearrange the section of the bar she was hiding near. Now, it was organized alphabetically instead of whatever the so-called organization was before.

 

Corso stretched, taking the opportunity to look around. No sign of Havoc, or that other guy Tuilelaith was talking to. “They’re gone, Captain.”

 

Tuilelaith breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn’t avoiding Aric; she was avoiding an awkward conversation.

 

“Not all of them are gone.”

 

Tuilelaith groaned, banging her head on the side of the bar, she hadn’t even gotten to stand up. “How can you be so silent even while in armor? Tell me. How?”

 

Aric leaned over the bar, helping Tuilelaith from her seated position. “Magic.” He smirked, watching as she came out from behind the bar to sit at a bar stool next to him.

 

“Corso, leave.” Tuilelaith barely spared a glance at the kid.

 

Corso looked from Tuilelaith to Aric, he wasn’t happy, but he knew he couldn’t argue either. “I’ll be right over there.” He pointed.

 

Tuilelaith nodded and jerked her chin, all without looking at her human companion.

 

“You and Balkar?” Aric asked after a while.

 

“It’s probably not what you think?” she smiled uncertainly.

 

“You work for the SIS.” That’s what Aric thought.

 

Sighing, she flashed a pained smile. “It’s exactly what you think, then.”

 

Resting his chin on his hand, Aric stared at her. He thought she couldn’t surprise him anymore. Should’ve known he was wrong. “Why?” The first thing he wanted to know. They has always said the SIS was where people that couldn’t be real soldiers went.

 

“You don’t throw away nine years of military training easily.” She shrugged, the smile more of a grimace. “Besides, I needed the distraction.”

 

“When?” For some reason, it was important to Aric that he learn when she joined the SIS.

 

“A month after Bevin was born.” Tuilelaith hadn’t been lying about needing a distraction.

 

Except for the intense feeling of love when Bevin opened her eyes, Tuilelaith was having a hard time connecting with her daughter. Maybe it was because Bevin was premature and needed to be either in the NICU* or with a Jedi in order for Tuilelaith to visit her? Maybe it was because Tuilelaith had been in a deep depression even before her c-section? Tuilelaith had needed a distraction from what she viewed as her miserable life, signing up with the SIS seemed like a great idea at the time. It still did, truth be told.

 

“Is that why you were on Ord?” It was strange, but the idea that he’d have to thank the SIS for bringing Tuilelaith back into his life wasn’t as bitter tasting as he’d thought it’d be.

 

Tuilelaith glanced sideways before focusing entirely on Aric’s face again. She smiled, a sensuous smile full of promise, her gaze turned heated, angling her body, sliding closer to Aric’s, almost straddling him, leaned in close, her breath skating along his jaw before touching his ear, Aric couldn’t help the shiver of want that passed through him as he felt her breath waft over his ear.

 

“Come to my ship later and I promise I’ll give you what you need.” She promised, voice throaty, inviting.

 

Aric was wide-eyed, his breathing heavy as she met his gaze when she pulled back.

 

“Later, hun.” She ran a claw along his jaw before walking away, hips swaying in time to a beat only she could hear.

 

“Fuck.” Aric closed his eyes, willing him body to calm. Tuilelaith wanted to talk to him somewhere she knew people wouldn’t eavesdrop. But, gods, the way her breathe huffed over his ear, getting him all hot and bothered with only her claw having touched him only served to remind him of the best night of his life five years ago.

 

“Hey!” Valyes’ voice accompanied by her hand clapping him on the shoulder. “You good, Jorgan?”

 

Aric opened his eyes to see her concerned face. “Yeah, boss. I’m fine.” He tried for a smile. He knew it didn’t work when Valyes arched her eyebrow.

 

Valyes didn’t press though, she never pressed Aric for information on Tuilelaith. Whether or not she sensed that Tuilelaith was the one bit of his past that he wouldn’t be forthcoming with or if she just understood that a person’s private life was private, she didn’t ask.

 

Unlike Havoc’s newest member.

 

“Is Sergeant Jorgan alright?” Elara’s cool Imperial voice asked, the skin above her implants furrowing as she brought out her scanner.

 

“Jorgan’s fine. He’s got a date later.” Valyes winked at him.

 

Aric narrowed his eyes. Valyes wasn’t nosey but she was observant.

 

“Oh.” Elara frowned. “I’m not sure Sergeant Jorgan should be getting dates while we’re on duty, sir.”

 

“It’s fine, Dorne.” Valyes winked at Aric again.

 

Elara’s frown deepened but she remained silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NICU - newborn intensive care unit
> 
> Elara Dorna has a customization that turns her into a cyborg. I wanted the 2 chicks of Havoc to be cyborgs together. it's #9, the Fleet Contraband Resale Corporation Resale Vendor


	8. Chapter 8

“I’m just saying that I don’t think it’s right.” Corso grumbled.

 

Tuilelaith sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “What isn’t right?”

 

‘It ain’t right’ seemed to be Corso’s latest litany and it was beginning to grate on Tuilelaith’s nerves. At least Risha and Tuilelaith had come to an understanding. Risha was contrary and enjoyed getting a rise out of people; Tuilelaith was in love with Aric. The two women understood each other.

 

“What Drooga is doing.” Corso was working himself up to a good rant.

 

“I know, Corso, but we need something from the overgrown worm.” The worst part about being undercover as a smuggler was all the Hutts she worked with. Tuilelaith had yet to find a Hutt she could stand, minus the one that spoke Basic that was a scientist; one would think that there’d be at least one Hutt that wasn’t a massive asshole, but so far, no such luck.

 

“Do you think-?” He let his question dangle.

 

“I’ll find a way to rescue Bowdaar if that’s what you’re worried about.” Tuilelaith rather liked the Wookie from what she had seen of him anyway.

 

“That wasn’t what I was going to say.” Corso did not like the Wookie.

 

“Then what were you going to say?” Tuilelaith had a vague feeling it was going to be another rant about Risha.

 

“Risha!” Tuilelaith sighed heavier at Corso’s cry. “It ain’t right that she’s telling us what to do! Where to go!”

 

“Well, what would you have me do, Corso?” She really wanted to know; lately she regreted agreeing to letting Corso tag along.

 

“I don’t know. Maybe take jobs from somebody that’s hiring.” He shrugged.

 

“Risha was hiring.” Tuilelaith said gently. “The only difference is, the client has taken residence with us. It does happen. It’s rare, but there are clients that are exceedingly paranoid about the job and insist on being with you every step of the way. Risha is just that sort.” Clapping Corso on the shoulder, she continued walking. “Get used to it if you wanna continue being a part of my crew.”


	9. Chapter 9

Aric knocked on the ship door, to be let in by a sorry looking C2 unit, the poor thing looked like it had been used for target practice*.

 

“Ah, Sergeant,” it was Tuilelaith’s strange female companion. What was her name again? Rishi? No, Risha.

 

Risha smiled. “The Captain and Corso had a massive argument and as such, she is hiding in her room, so she doesn’t kill the farm boy. I’ll take him from here Seetwo.” The last was directed at the droid.

 

“Of course, Mistress Risha.” Seetwo clanked back to its post by the entrance.

 

Risha studied Aric, looking him over. He felt self-conscious, he had come wearing sweatpants, an old t-shirt, and flipflops. She seemed to be weighing him, he wasn’t sure if he was found lacking or not and her slight smirk at the end didn’t ease his misgivings.

 

“Follow me, Sergeant.” Risha turned and started walking down the circular hallway.

 

“What did Tuile and the boy argue about?” Aric asked, looking around the ship. He’d never been on a cargo ship that wasn’t military before.

 

“The Wookie.” Risha pointed into the galley where, sure enough, a Wookie was rearranging the shelves behind the bar.

 

“Ah.” Was Aric’s only response.

 

Risha giggled.

 

“And here we are.” Risha said a few seconds later, her hand reaching out to knock a strange rhythm on the door. “It’s how she knows it’s me and not farm boy.” She winked at Aric.

 

Aric coughed.

 

“Leah! It’s Sergeant Sexy!” Risha’s amused voice called out through the door.

 

Aric choked on his own spit, hitting his chest as he coughed. Sergeant Sexy?

 

“Risha, stop being mean to my friend.” Tuilelaith opened her bedroom door, frowning up at the human woman.

 

“But his expression is worth it.” Risha winked at Tuilelaith. “Anyway, have fun. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.” With a little wave, she disappeared back the way her and Aric had come.

 

“You alright there, Aric?” Tuilelaith asked softly.

 

Aric nodded even as he continued to cough, finally raising his eyes to Tuilelaith. He started choking for another reason when he saw what she was wearing. She wore an academy t-shirt and what looked like boxers. The t-shirt stretched across her bust, and Aric had a hard time remembering if she had ever been that busty before, the t-shirt hugged every curve of her torso, he could see how wide her hips had gotten. And her boxers were skin tight, riding up over her thick thighs. All that golden, shiny fur, her shapely legs that he couldn’t help but imagine wrapped around his waist again.

 

Aric ruthlessly crushed that thought. It was not only disrespectful but wildly inappropriate.

 

Tuilelaith had shown no indication she thought of him that way. Just because she said she wanted their relationship to be like it was five years ago did not mean she wanted them to have a physical relationship. They only had sex one night, before that they had twenty-five years of friendship.

 

Even if Aric completely ignored the reason why she had an aversion to touch, why she still flinched from him sometimes, she hadn’t given him permission to think of her in an intimate way.

 

“That’s my shirt.” He said lamely.

 

Tuilelaith glanced down at herself. “Is it?” She picked at the hem. “I’ve had this shirt for forever.”

 

“Yeah, you must’ve stolen it from me.” The thought that she’d been sleeping in his t-shirt for the last five years excited him emotionally. “You weren’t in infantry at the academy.” He pointed towards the infantry symbol at the left shoulder.

 

“Well, you’re not getting it back.” She winked up at him.

 

“I don’t want it back. You’ve stretched it too much. It wouldn’t look right on me anymore.” He mentally kicked himself. Did he just call her fat?

 

“I’m not the only one that’s gained weight, string-bean.” She poked his stomach.

 

Aric scoffed. “Whatever nerd.” They glared defiantly at each other. “You gonna let me in or we gonna talk in the hallway?”

 

Tuilelaith rolled her eyes. “Come in, loser.” She stepped aside so Aric could enter her room.

 

“Thanks, shorty.” He patted her head as he walked past her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> C2's look is the Target Dummy one. It's from the Blockade Runner's Cartel Pack. I bought it off the GTN though.


	10. Chapter 10

Tuilelaith was not going to stare at Aric. She wouldn’t do it. Despite the fact that the neck of his t-shirt was so wide that she could see his collarbones, despite the fact that his sweatpants hung low on his hips. And, despite the fact he smelled amazing, all smoke and blaster fire. Nope, she was not going to stare.

 

For one, he was her best friend -sort of, maybe, possibly? And another, she wasn’t sure she was even remotely ready to be touched in that way, or touch another. Although, this was Aric she was talking about. But other than that night five years ago, he literally never showed any interest in her other than friendship. Well, he did hold her hand that one time he went to get her caf. And he kissed her when he told her he was up for a promotion which was right before he went to go buy her caf. And there was no alcohol involved in that…… She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

 

“Make yourself comfortable.” She gestured towards the bed and couch, briefly wondering which he’d choose.

 

He chose the bed.

 

“So?” Aric asked, propping himself up on several pillows, he noted Tuilelaith’s frown as he picked a crimson one to put behind his head.

 

She held up a finger, walking over to a holotelevision and turning on a loud sporting match. “You can get practically every Huttball game here.”

 

Aric arched a brow but nodded, she was using it as background noise.

 

“Ok, so.” She sat at the opposite end of the bed, eyeing the crimson pillow under his head, Aric rubbed his head on it just to annoy her. “You are correct. A mutual acquaintance suggested I go to Ord Mantell. Shore up some business.”

 

Aric crossed his arms and watched the match, even if she was sure her room wasn’t bugged Tuilelaith still talked in the code they invented as children and morphed and merged with military terms as they grew.

 

“Said I could possibly get in touch with somebody that could get me rolling in the credits.” She shared a look with him. “Problem is, while I was there, my ship got nicked. Funny story, and the guy that was supposed to help me got killed. I was about to take a public shuttle to Coruscant when you saw me again.”

 

Aric worked through what she said. The SIS told her a way to get to her target was on Ord Mantell, she went. However, her ship got stolen which impeded her mission. “I almost didn’t believe it was you.”

 

That part wasn’t a part of their secret conversation; he really hadn’t believed it was her at first, but then she turned her head and he saw her profile. His heart had stopped at that moment.

 

Tuilelaith quirked a smile. “Got off Ord Mantell and farm boy says there’s this egg that can help me get my ship back. Called him up and sure enough, he helped me get my ship back.”

 

Egg meant target. Aric frowned at the score of the match. So, Corso suggested the target could help.

 

“Farm boy, that the second in command you picked up back on Ord?” Aric scratched his ear.

 

Tuilelaith nodded. “Yeah, well, his boss kinda got murdered so it was the least I could do.”

 

Aric grunted; she didn’t suspect Corso to be Imperial, but she also didn’t put it past the kid since he suggested the target. “Who was the ever so helpful egg?”

 

“Darmas Pollaran. You heard of him?” Tuilelaith decided she didn’t want to sit on the end of the bed anymore, she crawled to the head of the bed and plopped down beside Aric, just their arms touching.

 

“Can’t say I have.” Aric thought the name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t be sure.

 

“He was part of the Privateer movement during the last war. Not as big a name as Okarr or Visz but up there.” Tuilelaith sighed, placing her head on Aric’s shoulder.

 

“Ah.” Aric did not learn about the Privateer movement, he was in infantry and learning about naval battles and strategies had been an elective he had elected not to take, trusting to Tuilelaith to always be in his life. He took her presence for granted.

 

And look where it got them.

 

She sighed. “I’m just waiting to see if Pollaran can introduce me to new, lucrative cronies.”

 

Cronies. That was Naval SpecForce speak for Imperials.

 

“Maybe.” Aric tried not to move. Tuilelaith was touching him. Sure, it was just her head on his shoulder and their arms touching but still, she was touching him.

 

“I’ve always hated Huttball.” Tuilelaith turned to look at Aric. “Wanna watch a vid?”

 

Aric glanced down at her. “I have no idea why you kept it on this channel for so long.”

 

She shrugged. “It was just on. I think Seetwo comes in and messes with my channels when I’m not on the ship. The droid likes the violence.”

 

Aric arched a brow. “Really?”

 

She nodded. “Yeah, didn’t you see how he looks like a target? He was like that when I got him.”

 

Aric just shook his head, bringing the arm that wasn’t touching Tuilelaith behind his head. “You sure have a collection going.”

 

“What can I say? I’m a very charming person.” Tuilelaith reached across Aric to get the remote. “What vid do you want to watch?”

 

“Comedy.” Aric said, knowing that they wouldn’t watch the comedy because they’d be too busy making fun of it.

 

“Comedy it is.” Tuilelaith giggled, already ready for the jokes.

 

#

 

Aric sat laughing at Tuilelaith’s horrendous impression of the Hutt in the vid.

 

“You know,” she looked up at him from under her lashes, “I met a Hutt similar to him.” She indicated the Hutt in the vid.

 

“No, you didn’t.” Aric rolled his eyes.

 

“I did!” Tuilelaith punched his arm. “He was a scientist. Cared more about his ‘art’ than the usual Hutt things. Kept going on and on about how he needed space and no interruptions in order to create properly. And cargo haulers that actually did their jobs.” She rolled her eyes. “He was an interesting person.”

 

Aric arched a brow. “And let me guess, people that didn’t ask questions?”

 

Tuilelaith shook her head. “Nope. He loved questions! Insisted I ask about his work every time I dropped something off. He could talk your ear off.”

 

“You sure he was a Hutt?” Aric poked her nose.

 

“Not really.” Tuilelaith and Aric shared a laugh. “He could’ve been a bunch of Jawas in a Hutt-suit!”

 

Aric rolled his eyes again, playfully shoving her.

 

“Which is doubtful. He spoke perfect Basic. So, he couldn’t be a bunch of Jawas in a Hutt-suit.” her pointer finger was placed delicately on her chin. “Maybe he was a bunch of Ugnaughts?  No, they don’t speak Basic either. Hmmmm.” The twinkle in her eyes meant she was trying to come up with more and more ridiculous things. “Bothans in a Hutt-suit? No, I don’t think Bothans would waste their time in such a ruse.”

 

Aric was trying not to laugh, he and Tuilelaith were staring at each other, trying to get the other to break first.

 

“I know!” She snapped her fingers. “He was the Emperor!”

 

And Aric lost it. Snorting he collapsed against the pillows.

 

“I’m sure the Ruler of All Evil needs a vacation and what better than pretending to be a Hutt that loves science?” Tuilelaith said innocently.

 

Aric’s laughter was muffled through the pillow his face was pressed in. “How does your brain come up with this?” He asked, one eye peeking at her.

 

She shrugged. “It’s a gift.”

 

Shaking his head, Aric tried to stop laughing.

 

“Damn, Aric, I’m really not that funny.” She frowned at him. “You ok there?” She touched his forehead with the back of her hand.

 

“It’s just been so long since I’ve been around somebody with your humor!” He wheezed, somehow winding up with his cheek cupped in her hand. “Nobody in infantry is you.”

 

Tuilelaith arched an eyebrow. “That’s because y’all’s humor is more down to earth*.”

 

Aric snorted another laugh, lost in another fit of laughter.

 

“Y’all can try to reach the stars but you’ll never reach the height of the navy.” Tuilelaith continued, inching closer to Aric’s ear. “Your sense of humor is dumber than a rock.”

 

Aric began coughing he was laughing so hard.

 

“It’s almost sad how base infantry humor is.” Her finger was back on her chin. “But,” she shrugged, shaking her head sadly. “But then again, not any other branch can boast the elevation of navy humor.”

 

Aric choked on his own spit he laughed so hard. “No more! Please!”

 

Then he heard it, the sound he’d been wanting to hear for five years, Tuilelaith’s laugh. Her laugh wasn’t bell-like, it wasn’t even musical. It was deep, hearty, reflecting the woman she was, but it was as golden as her fur and Aric loved it.

 

“They really weren’t that funny.” She giggled, poking Aric’s side.

 

Aric caught his breath, turning over to look at her. “I know, but it’s been so long since I’ve heard your awful puns and your horrendous play on words.” He purred as her hand started petting his cheek mockingly.

 

Tuilelaith patted his cheek. “I am so sorry that you have been so bereft all these years.” She poked his nose.

 

Aric playfully nipped at her finger.

 

“Is it really so bad in infantry?’ She asked softly, laying on her side, facing him.

 

He shrugged as best he could laying down, turning to lay on his side, facing her as well. “It wasn’t too bad. Got the promotion about two years after you disappeared.” He made it clear he understood why she left with a look in her eye. “Hated fighting the seps though. Then the demotion.”

 

Tuilelaith’s brow furrowed, her hand snaking out to hold one of his. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, Aric.” her voice was feather light and full of caring.

 

Sighing, Aric studied her. She knew how much his demotion must have hurt. He tried for seven years to get promoted to lieutenant and then one bad fuck-up and he was back to being a sergeant.

 

“What hurts the most is I was the one blamed when it wasn’t my fault.” He knew it wasn’t his fault, Valyes knew it wasn’t his fault. Hell, even the Brass knew it wasn’t Aric’s fault Tavus and the other members of Havoc defected but that hadn’t stopped the Brass from blaming him.

 

Tuilelaith’s other hand began stroking his neck and face. “Of course not, you’d never do anything on purpose to warrant a demotion.”

 

“I love your faith in me.” He sighed into her hand, nuzzling the palm of her hand. “I got in trouble for insubordination and stealing while trying to find you.” If Aric ever met Bey’wan Aygo ever again, he really hoped the Bothan was the forgiving type, or the type with a horrible memory.

 

“What did you do?” She arched a brow, sure in her belief that Aric couldn’t have done anything that bad.

 

“I broke into Naval Records, trying to find out if you left any information about where you’d gone. Then proceeded to punch the officer that discovered me.” He opened his eyes to see complete shock on her face.

 

“What?” She asked hoarsely.

 

“I panicked and I couldn’t find you.” It was a lame excuse and he knew it. But he had decided six months after she disappeared that he didn’t care if she was involved in illegal happenings, he just wanted her back in his life. He hadn’t realized how much of a hole Tuilelaith’s friendship filled in him.

 

“You punched Admiral Aygo in the face?” Her lips curled into a slight smile. Aric punching an admiral in the face for her was oddly romantic.

 

“How did you know that’s who I punched?” Aric looked curiously at her.

 

“All naval records are in his office, and he’s basically always there.” She stroked one of the stripes on Aric’s cheek.

 

“It’s not funny.” Aric grumped.

 

“No, it’s sweet.” She leaned in and kissed his nose. “You’re so sweet to me.”

 

Aric scoffed. “You’d kick my ass if I wasn’t.”

 

“Don’t make it seem like I coerce you into doing things, Aric Jorgan.” She narrowed her eyes. “I never make you do things you don’t want to do.”

 

Aric narrowed his eyes as well. “That fight when we were six.”

 

“Of course, you’d bring up Boddy Darren!” Tuilelaith rolled her eyes. “And it didn’t take much to ‘coerce’ you. You wanted to punch him in the face since the first day of school. I just gave you a great excuse.”

 

He grunted but she was correct.

 

“It’s one of the many reasons you love me and we’re friends.” She smiled at him.

 

He shook his head.  “Who else would put up with your jokes?” Aric asked.

 

“I’m sure there are loads of people.” Tuilelaith said, sticking her tongue out at him. “I’m very charming and people love me.”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” He rolled over on his back. “Another vid?”

 

“Horror this time!” Tuilelaith cried.

 

Aric groaned but complied, switching the vid to horror.

 

#

 

“Corso!” Risha’s whispered voice by Corso’s ear had him jumping.

 

“Whatcha doing, farm boy?” Risha looked between Corso and Tuilelaith’s closed door.

 

“Nothin’.” He galred defiantly at Risha.

 

Risha arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

 

“They’re oddly silent.” Corso said in defense of himself.

 

“And?” Risha asked, she needed Corso to say what was so obvious to her.

 

“I don’t like it.” Corso blushed.

 

“You are never going to have a chance with her. Get it through your farm boy head. And that’s free advice.” Risha said, grabbing his elbow and forcibly yanking him down the hallway to the galley.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you didn't read this line like Austin Powers' line "Well, i hope it's mostly oral and not too brief" then go back and read it correctly lol. Also if you haven't seen the movie to know what i'm talking about, google that line and it should show up. Also, do go watch them. They're all awful but they're all great. 
> 
> https://youtu.be/AzSwkptxRGU <<<<<<< link to watch that specific line


	11. Chapter 11

Aric woke with mane in his nose. Strange, he could’ve sworn he hadn’t brought another Tuilelaith-Clone back to the Thunderclap with him. Wait.

 

Aric cracked an eye open to see inky black mane, soft and smelling of Tuilelaith. Right. Right. He saw Tuilelaith on Nar Shaddaa, she invited him back to her ship. They fell asleep watching vids. Smiling, he was glad that she felt comfortable enough with him to snuggle next to him. Because snuggled she was.

 

One of her legs thrown across his hips, her arms entwined in a weird knot around his neck, her nose pressed to his jawline, her mane covering his face.

 

Chuckling, Aric noticed the placement of his hands, one on her back, the other on her hip. Sighing in happiness, Aric adjusted himself, wrapping both arms around her, loosely, and fell back asleep.

 

#

 

Tuilelaith woke up with her own mane in her mouth and snoring next to her ear.

 

Cracking open an eye she saw that her and Aric were a mess of tangled limbs on her bed. That’s right, they had fallen asleep watching vids. It wasn’t a strange occurrence per se but it was new. She and Aric hadn’t fallen asleep watching vids together for years. And the way they were curled around each other wasn’t making her uncomfortable. It was making her feel safe.

 

Gods, but she had missed Aric.

 

“Aric.” She whispered trying to pull away. “I have to pee.”

 

Aric mumbled something in his sleep and rubbed his nose across her forehead.

 

“Aric, let me go.” Tuilelaith poked his cheek.

 

“No.” Aric frowned in his sleep. “You’ll leave again.” His arms tightened around her for a second before loosening again. “Don’t leave. Stay.”

 

Tuilelaith felt her breath catch. Aric never said stuff like that in his sleep. Or, he didn’t use to. Maybe he was awake?

 

“But, Aric, I’m about to piss my pants.” She whispered next to his ear.

 

Aric grumbled again, his eyes blinking slowly. “What?”

 

No, he had been asleep.

 

 “I have to take a piss.” She said.

 

“Ok, bring me some water.” He released her so he could stretch.

 

Tuilelaith sat up, got off the bed and padded over to the door. “Put on another vid. Your choice this time.” She directed before leaving the room.

 

Aric sighed heavily and covered his face with a pillow. There was some unknown look on her face as she got up. What had he said while sleeping?

 

#

 

Tuilelaith wondered if Aric wanted flavored water or plain water. Why did she have flavored water? She hated flavored water. And orange flavored water? Who does that? Gross.

 

“Hey Cap.” Corso spoke slowly, mouth tripping over the words.

 

Tuilelaith froze. Corso was drunk.

 

“You’re drunk Corso.” She frowned at him, picking a bottle of water at random, it could be used as a weapon if she needed it, really hoping she didn’t, positioning herself with her back to the counter, water bottle gripped in a hand.

 

“Leah, you’re so pretty.” His hot breath in her face.

 

Tuilelaith gagged on the amount of alcohol wafting off the Corso. “Corso, sleep it off.”

 

Corso brought a hand up to touch her face.

 

Slamming the bottle of water bottle up into his solar plexus lightning fast while placing a well-aimed kicked to the back of his knees had Corso gasping in a heap on the floor of the galley.

 

“Sleep. It. Off.” Tuilelaith said slowly. “Bowdaar!” Spying the Wookie outside the galley. “Take farm boy to bed, please.”

 

Bowdaar didn’t say anything, he just picked Corso up like a sack of grain and tossed the human over a shoulder.

 

Tuilelaith let out a breath she hadn’t been aware she was holding. Corso touched her. He was drunk but he touched her. Maybe he needed clear instructions on how he should never touch her. Lost in thought she walked back into her room.

 

Absently, she passed the bottle of water to Aric.

 

“Orange flavored water? I thought you hated orange.” Aric scoffed before he noticed her expression. “Tuile?”

 

Tuilelaith snapped out of her reverie. “Corso touched me.”

 

She smelt the anger wafting off Aric.

 

“He touched you without your permission?” Aric had once punched a boy in the face when they were eight, the boy was Zabrak and kept trying to pet Tuilelaith during the school day.

 

“I took care of it.” Tuilelaith frowned. “He was drunk. We’re going to have a very uncomfortable conversation about what he can and can’t do.”

 

Aric nodded slowly, knowing that if she said she took care of it then she took care of it. “Want me to punch him anyway?”

 

Tuilelaith barked a laugh. “Maybe.”

 

They shared a smile.

 

“So, what vid did you pick?” Tuilelaith asked, getting comfortable again, snuggling into Aric’s side.

 

“Only our favorite.” He smirked. “Dot and the Tauntaun*!”

 

Tuilelaith groaned. “No! Are you trying to give me nightmares? Because this is how I get nightmares.”

 

“Awww, is Tuile scared?” Aric mocked her. “I’m right here. I’ll protect you from scary monsters.”

 

Tuilelaith narrowed her eyes before jabbing her fingers into Aric’s side.

 

“I forgot you used to do that.” Aric wheezed.

 

“That’s what you get.” Tuilelaith smirked at him.

 

Aric glared at her, but mirth lurked in his eyes. “Are you ready to watch it?”

 

“Sure.” Tuilelaith rolled her eyes and slammed her body against Aric’s.

 

“Don’t knock me off the bed!” Aric objected.

 

“Oh, I would never.” Tuilelaith giggled.

 

Aric narrowed his eyes but let Tuilelaith rearrange his body how she wanted. “Comfortable now?”

 

Tuilelaith nodded. “Yep.”

 

Her legs were thrown across his, her head on his shoulder, and her arms around his torso. Sighing and rolling his eyes, Aric pressed play.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Dot and the Tauntaun" was based off the movie "Dot and the Kangaroo"; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dot_and_the_Kangaroo_(film)
> 
> Also, this movie legit gave me nightmares as a child.


	12. Chapter 12

Aric woke up groggy, trying to figure out if it was his holo ringing or Tuilelaith’s. It took him a few seconds to recognize it was his holo that was ringing and that it was that annoying noise that pulled him from slumber.

 

“Yes?” He mumbled, answering his holo.

 

“Jorgan?” Valyes looked at her chrono, “are you still with Captain Agrona?”

 

Aric nodded. “Yes.”

 

Valyes arched the one eyebrow she had. “Well, I hate to cut your fun short, but we have another assignment and we have to leave.” She really did hate the idea of making Aric leave his friend, she wasn’t one hundred percent sure on the history between the two Cathar, but she recognized enough to know that Aric and Tuilelaith needed to spend as much time with each other as possible.

 

“Where are we headed?” Aric began trying to figure out how to untangle himself from Tuilelaith.

 

“Tatooine.” Valyes frowned. “Only about the worst planet ever for a cyborg.”

 

“It’s not much better for a Cathar, sir.” Aric frowned at the top of Tuilelaith’s head.

 

Valyes laughed. “Good point. You have two hours, Jorgan.” She waved before ending the call.

 

Aric sighed, tossing his holo onto the floor. “Tuile.” He began petting her back.

 

Tuilelaith mumbled but didn’t wake up and he remembered that it was almost impossible to wake Tuilelaith up.

 

“I have to go.” Aric said.

 

Tuilelaith mumbled again, slowly waking. Aric closed his eyes in pleasure as she stretched, rubbing their bodies together.

 

“Did I dream that you have to go or is that real?” Tuilelaith asked, sitting up.

 

“It’s real.” Aric admitted, sitting up as well.

 

She nodded, stretching and scratched her head. “Alright.”

 

She lay back down the minute Aric stood up.

 

“You’re going back to sleep?” He shook his head.

 

Tuilelaith nodded. “The best part about not being in the military.” She covered her mouth as she yawned. “I can set my own hours.”

 

“Huh.” Aric pondered that.

 

Tuilelaith held a hand out to him before her could leave. “Call me so I know you’re safe.”

 

Aric placed a kiss to the back of her hand. “Of course. You be safe as well.”

 

“I have a Wookie, of course I’m gonna be safe.” Tuilelaith winked at him as she stuck her tongue out.

 

Aric rolled his eyes. “Call you when I’m done with my next mission.”

 

“K. Love you.” Tuilelaith called out as Aric reached the door.

 

“Love you too.” Aric responded.

 

#

 

Corso was livid at himself. Corso had done something stupid. He wondered if bringing Tuilelaith caf would help her get less pissed at him.

 

“Riggs,” Aric was leaning against the doorjamb, arms crossed and studying the human.

 

“Yeah?” Corso did not like the look in the older man’s eyes.

 

“You know she has military training, right? Tuile.” Aric inquired.

 

“Uh, no. I did not know that.” Corso felt fear climb up his spine.

 

“Well, now you know.” Aric inclined his head. “Just thought I’d tell you.”

 

With that cryptic remark, the Cathar turned and walked away.

 

Corso frowned down at his hands.

 

“Corso, what did you do to Leah that Sergeant Sexy would threaten you?” Risha quipped from the table.

 

“That was a threat?” It didn’t sound like a threat.

 

“He not so subtly informed you that Leah was trained to be a killer. If that’s not a threat, then I don’t know what is.” Risha shrugged, going back to reading her datapad.

 

The fear that had been creeping up his spine began running up his spine. “Oh.”

 

Risha smirked meanly from behind her datapad.

 

#

 

Tuilelaith tapped a finger against her caf mug, eyes roaming over Corso. Corso was sweating, nervousness written in every line of his body.

 

“Why did you get drunk last night?” Tuilelaith took a sip of her caf.

 

Corso took a breath, getting her caf had not made her less pissed, now it gave her a prop to hurt him with if she wanted. “I was jealous. Plain and simple.”

 

Tuilelaith arched a brow. “Oh?”

 

Corso began sweating more. “I like you, Cap, and you spending all your time with Sergeant Jorgan and looking like you were coming onto him made the ugly side of me come out.”

 

Tuilelaith sighed, gently putting the cup down on the counter she crossed her arms. “Riggs, I have known Sergeant Jorgan since we were born. We were born on the exact same day at the exact same time in almost the exact same room. We’ve been best friends since we were four and he’s been something more precious to me since we were six. Although we didn’t talk for five years, we are trying to build our relationship back to what it was five years ago.” She tapped her fingers on her elbow.

 

Corso looked down at his feet, he heard her sigh again.

 

“Something happened to me five years ago that ruined male touch for me. And Aric is the only male I trust to touch me because of our history.” She stalked close to Corso. “So, what I’m trying to say is, you need to get over your jealousy because I am not interested in you. I am interested in nobody. You’re a good kid Corso, and you’re an alright friend, but if you’re going to be jealous of my closest friend then you need to get off here.”

 

Corso chewed his bottom lip. “I understand, Cap.”

 

“See that you do.” Tuilelaith said before leaving the room.

 

Corso banged his head on the wall. He was such an idiot. It all made sense now, Tuilelaith had been raped so his touching of her was a massive offense but she didn’t hate him. Tuilelaith really was the best person Corso knew.

 

Sighing, Corso tried to think of a way to make up for his massive gaffe.

 


	13. Chapter 13

“I don’t think there are words to accurately describe how much I loathe this planet.” Tuilelaith grumbled.

 

Bowdaar growled in agreement.

 

Tatooine was turning out to be one annoying disaster after another.

 

“I’m sorry forcing you to come with me.” Tuilelaith apologized to her tall friend. “But, well, Corso.”

 

Bowdaar nodded, he understood perfectly, probably more so than anybody else.

 

“ _It’s understandable. Your anger at Corso makes sense._ ” Bowdaar replied.

 

Tuilelaith grinned up at him. “Let’s go get whatever it is Risha needs.”

 

Bowdaar laughed. “ _You’re punishing Corso by forcing him to stay on the ship with Red-mane?_ ”

 

“Maybe.” Tuilelaith smirked, it was well known that Corso did not like Risha.

 

Bowdaar laughed harder.

 

#

 

Tuilelaith stared at the Sith and the Jedi.

 

“You two realize you look like idiots when you do that, yeah?” She asked after both women tried to do some weird thing with a hand wave.

 

The Jedi did nothing, the Sith frowned.

 

“No matter, I’ll take the artifact myself.” The Sith sniffed.

 

“KILL EVERYONE!” Diago Hixan screamed.

 

Tuilelaith rolled for cover, Bowdaar followed suit. Blaster fire rained as Tuilelaith tried to kill the people that were trying to kill her.

 

Soon, all was quiet, lifting her head from behind her cover, Tuilelaith saw only the Jedi, herself, and Bowdaar were still alive.

 

“Captain.” Nariel Pridence bowed.

 

“Yeah, sure.” Tuilelaith’s smile didn’t reach her eyes.

 

Nariel Pridence took the holocron and left, leaving Tuilelaith and Bowdaar surrounded by bodies.

 

“Yet another reason I’m glad I quit the military, don’t have to deal with thankless Jedi on a regular basis.” Tuilelaith kicked a nearby rock.

 

Bowdaar laughed again.

 

“At least we got the damn Gree sensor computer.” Tuilelaith’s shoulders slumped.

 

Bowdaar made a noise of agreement, picking up the computer.

 

“Let’s leave this shithole.” Tuilelaith really wanted a shower.

 

“ _I hope the ship has enough water so I can wash all the sand away_.” Bowdaar stated falling into step with her.

 

“Oh, it does. I made damn sure.” Tuilelaith had made sure every single water tank on the ship was full half a second after finding out that Tatooine was where she was headed.


	14. Chapter 14

Tuilelaith couldn't pinpoint it, but she hated Alderaan. And she wanted to leave as soon as possible.

 

“Please, Leah, please!” Risha whined.

 

Tuilelaith sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “No.”

 

“But I’ve only ever crashed a fancy party like this. Never invited to one on purpose.” Risha had a pleading look in her eyes. “And think of farm boy and the Wookie, I’m sure neither of them have ever been to anything so fancy either.”

 

“ _Speak for yourself, Red-mane._ ” Bowdaar barely looked up from his sabacc game.

 

Corso was nowhere to be found, he had taken to avoiding both Risha and Tuilelaith if they were in the same room.

 

“Fine.” Tuilelaith knew she was going to regret going. “Fine, we’ll go.”

 

Risha clapped her hands, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Thanks, Leah!” The younger woman gasped. “We have to find outfits!”

 

Tuilelaith was already shaking her head when Risha grabbed her wrist and yanked her out of the galley and down the ship’s long hallway, Bowdaar’s laughter trailing behind them.

 

#

 

Aric couldn’t believe it. Havoc had things to do they couldn’t be attending a party some stuffed shirt was throwing.

 

“Sir,” Aric pulled at his tie, Elara’s hand smacking his hand away caused him to sigh, “we shouldn’t be attending a party.”

 

Valyes stood in the lift tapping her toes and looking decidedly vexed. “Oh, I’m well aware, Jorgan. But Garza said to suck up. So, we are sucking up.”

 

Aric could practically feel his CO roll her eyes even though he was too busy studying himself in the lift’s reflection. The last time he had worn a suit was the night he and Tuilelaith had sex. The literal best night of his entire life. Then the next morning he fucked it up.

 

“Jorgan!” Valyes was snapping her fingers. “You need your head checked or something? You were zoned out.”

 

Aric shook his head and tilted his head away from Valyes’ fingers. “I was thinking about the last time I wore a suit.”

 

Valyes and Elara exchanged looks.

 

“Oh?” Elara asked, feigning disinterest.

 

“Yeah, standard military ball. Tuile was there.” The lift doors opened, and Aric caught a scent he hadn’t caught in years. Tuile was panicking and he remembered her telling him that she was coming into Heat soon and didn’t like being out in public. That had to be what was wrong. Then he caught the scent of other male Cathar, and he began panicking. “We danced.” He pushed past Valyes, following his nose.

 

Valyes and Elara exchanged another glance.

 

“Val, what exactly is the relationship between Sergeant Jorgan and Captain Agrona?” Elara wondered as the two women of Havoc stepped off the lift.

 

“I always assumed they were exes.” Valyes shrugged. “That they had a bad breakup.”

 

Elara frowned. “That wouldn’t explain the way they talk to each other over holo. Or the way he smiles whenever he reads her emails. Or the little smirk they give each other when they think the other isn’t looking. Or the spark in their eyes.”

 

Valyes stared at Elara. “And how do you see all this, Elara?”

 

Elara blushed. “Crew’s quarters are not large and Jorgan assumes I’m actually listening to music when my headphones are on.”

 

Valyes laughed. “You sneaky little nerfherder.”

 

Elara blushed harder. “Yes, well, as Havoc’s medic it is my job to make sure everybody is performing at optimal efficiency and that covers emotional efficiency as well.” She sniffed in disdain.

 

Valyes only laughed harder.

 

#

 

Tuilelaith was having a panic attack. No other way to describe what was happening. She was an idiot. A massive idiot. She forgot to count her days. She had told Aric soon the last time they had talked about five days ago, but by ‘soon’ she thought she had another two weeks. And yet, here she was, cornered on a balcony by her own stupidity, in Heat at a party and there were at least five other Cathar dignitaries and military officials in the ballroom.

 

“Fuck.” Shoving her hands in her mane she leaned against the balustrade.

 

“Tuile?”

 

Her head snapped to see Aric standing at the only way into the balcony.

 

“Aric.” His name was a whispered prayer.

 

He approached her, reaching out a hand, pausing just above her shoulders when she walked into his embrace, her arms wrapping around his waist, her face pressed to his chest. Aric slid a hand into her mane, the other around her shoulders.

 

“I’m so glad it’s you.” She sounded close to tears.

 

“Of course, it’s me.” He nuzzled her hair, an agreed upon sign of affection. “I literally growled at the other males that tried coming out here.”

 

And he had. There had been three male Cathar heading towards this very balcony, towards Tuilelaith, and Aric has growled low and angry, possessively. The other Cathar had backed off.

 

Tuilelaith chuckled weakly.

 

“You look gorgeous as always.” Aric said into her mane.

 

“Thank you.” Tuilelaith hiccupped. “You look ravishing per usual.”

 

Aric leaned back, his hands on her shoulders, rubbing circles into her fur. Tuilelaith did look gorgeous; black strapless dress, full skirt, her hair pulled up and back, soft curls cascading down her back, the moonlight glinting off her mane, her crystal blue eyes staring up at him.

 

“Tuile, do you want me to escort you back to your ship?” He refused to leave her to go find the Wookie.

 

She nodded. “Yes, please.” Tuilelaith cracked a sad smile. “I’d love to be escorted anywhere with such a ravishing man as you.”

 

Aric was ravishing; his grey three-piece suit, black shirt, and grey tie, his fur perfectly combed and his marigold eyes swimming with concern.

 

Aric smiled down at her, hand travelling down the length of her arm to grab her hand. “Then it is my great duty to escort you, my lady.”

 

Lifting her hand to his lips, he made a great show of making obnoxious kissy noises over the back of her hand. It had the desired result, Tuilelaith giggled.

 

They shared a smile before Aric actually placed a hard kiss to the back of her hand. Standing up, but not letting go of her hand, Aric began to walk back into the ball. Tuilelaith stopped just at the door.

 

“Tuile,” Aric looked at her, his hand going to her hair, “do you trust me?”

 

“With everything I have.” Tuilelaith answered honestly.

 

Aric smirked before the hand holding hers moved to wrap delicately around her neck, his face closing the distance with hers, but instead of kissing her, he ran his nose along her jaw, his lips across her forehead, and his tongue licked the tip of her nose. He breathed on her face before he moved away, his eyes half-lidded.

 

Tuilelaith closed her eyes, barely stopping a purr of pleasure as Aric ran his nose along her jaw and his lips across her forehead, but when he licked her nose and breathed on her face, she did purr, just a bit. She knew what he was doing. All the other male Cathar in the ballroom were trained on Tuilelaith and Aric, this display Aric had done was to signal any other male or female possibly interested in Tuilelaith that she was taken. By Aric.

 

It was the idea that Aric claimed her publicly -at least on Alderaan to save her from other Cathar - that caused her to purr. For the first time in a long time hope bloomed in her chest.

 

#

 

Valyes smacked Elara’s shoulder increasingly harder until the medic broke off her conversation as politely as possible with a fellow medic.

 

“Yes?” Elara hissed politely -Elara did everything politely.

 

Valyes didn’t say anything, just pointed at something on the other side of the ballroom.

 

Elara followed Valyes’ finger and saw Aric leading Tuilelaith by the hand out of the party.

 

Elara and Valyes exchanged looks again.

 

#

 

“Well, well, well.” Risha sounded incredibly smug.

 

“What?” Corso asked, the hor d'oeuvre halfway to his mouth.

 

“Looks like our Leah is going home with Sergent Sexy.” Risha waggled her eyebrows at Corso.

 

Corso groaned. He knew immediately who Sergeant Sexy was. Aric Jorgan. Tuilelaith was going back to the ship with Aric Jorgan. Fuck.

 

“You’ll find somebody someday, farm boy.” Risha, for once, sounded kind.


	15. Chapter 15

Tuilelaith didn’t remember the walk from the ballroom to Aric’s private room -Havoc Squad each got their own room, even the droid --which Tuilelaith had yet to meet. She didn’t remember when it was decided they were going back to Aric’s room and not her ship. She remembered the warmth of his hand, the sound of his voice as he talked, meaningless words in a one-sided meaningless conversation, he was only talking to continue the ruse of their being a couple as displayed to the other Cathar in the ballroom.

 

She remembered how at some point he pulled her behind a pillar and shielded her from the same group of Cathar from earlier only now highly inebriated. The press of his body. His warmth through their many layers of clothing.

 

Tuilelaith remembered wishing for all the world that Aric would kiss her knowing that he wouldn’t unless she verbally said it was alright. And even then, he’d most likely kiss her cheek or forehead.

 

“I have some extra clothes if you’d like to change out of your dress.” Aric’s voice broke into her thoughts.

 

She opened her eyes and studied the room. The room was huge. Even the bed was huge.

 

Aric for his part felt an odd sense of deja vu. Bringing a gorgeous Tuilelaith back to his rented room. Except his time, he was sober and he could properly drink her in.

 

“There’s a fresher attached if you want to wash the product out of your mane as well.” Aric jerked a thumb over his shoulder.

 

Tuilelaith shook her head, her curls flowing over her back, giving Aric a glimpse of the dark amber fur that trailed among her spine. He had always wanted to lick and nip his way both up and down that trail.

 

“Didn’t use product. But thank you.” Tuilelaith accepted the clothes from Aric. “Could you unzip me? Risha insisted I buy this dress even if it was a size too small.”

 

Swallowing, Aric took a step towards Tuilelaith, watching as she moved her mane off her back, giving Aric access to the zipper.

 

Aric has never tried unzipping a dress before without touching somebody, but he tried it now and succeeded in doing the task. Tuilelaith’s dress was unzipped and he hadn’t touched her.

 

Aric could see where the dress had been digging into Tuilelaith’s skin, a hard indent in her fur screamed at him.

 

Smiling over her shoulder at him, Tuilelaith walked into the refresher to change.

 

Aric breathed out the breath he was holding and decided to change out of his own suit. Once changed, he pulled out his datapad, sending an email to Valyes requesting possible time off and notifying her that Tuilelaith was staying with him.

 

He wasn’t sure how much Valyes guessed about his relationship with Tuilelaith, but it didn’t matter at the moment.

 

“How did you know I was panicking?” Tuilelaith asked as she came back into the room, throwing her dress over the back of a chair. She’d send it to Teernan, her littermate could wear it no problem.

 

“I scented it.” Aric went to the massive wardrobe, pulling out an extra blanket and pillow.

 

“You scented it?” Tuilelaith put her mane up in a bun, sitting on the edge of the bed.

 

Aric had rescued her before. Panic attacks weren’t exactly new and they both knew Tuilelaith was spending the night.

 

“Yeah, I’m very in tune with your scent, Tuile.” He studied the two couches; both were rather on the small side, but one was longer than the other. He picked the longer one.

 

“Even after all this time?” Her question was quiet.

 

Aric looked at her over his shoulder. “Even after all this time. I love you, Tuile.” He loved her; he was in love with her. Why couldn’t he admit that?

 

Tuilelaith’s smile was sweet. “I love you too, Aric.” She should admit she was in love with him, but something was stopping her. “Valyes isn’t going to have a problem with my staying here is she?”

 

Aric shook his head. “Nah. She can take Fourex out in missions and I can stay here with Dorne.”

 

“Ok.” Tuilelaith crawled under the expensive sheets. “Good night, Aric.”

 

Aric tried to make himself comfortable in the couch. “Good night, Tuile.”

 

#

 

Valyes heard her datapad chime, thinking it was strange to be getting an email she checked it, her eyebrow almost disappearing into her hairline.

 

“Dorne, Captain Agrona is staying with Aric in his room until at least tomorrow. He has requested that he be stationed with you.” Valyes enjoyed having Aric with her because he wasn’t as jumpy as Fourex and he could hear better than Elara.

 

“I don’t mind.” Elara shrugged.  Fourex and he heard better than Elara. “I have no problem with that.” Elara commented.  Something about Captain Agrona bothered her.

 

Elara had cybernetics implanted to make her life as a medic easier. She used the cybernetics to read body language and assess possible injuries. Earlier, as Aric was leading Tuilelaith out of the ballroom something about both Cathar’s postures had bothered Elara and now she had an answer. It took a while for her implants to figure out what body postures meant what once it ruled out physical injury. But now that Elara knew it, she couldn’t not know it. Captain Tuilelaith Agrona was having a panic attack and Aric was protecting her. Valyes had been busy but Elara had caught the display between Aric and Tuilelaith at the exit to the balcony. The medic had also noted the resulting body language of the other Cathar in the room. Aric was sending a message to the other Cathar, Tuilelaith was off limits. But his body language as both he and Tuilelaith left the ballroom suggested he was protecting her. Which left Elara with one massive question; why was Captain Tuilelaith having a panic attack?

 

“Dorne?” Valyes shook her head. “You and Jorgan have been absent all evening.”

 

Elara smiled at the taller woman. “Apologies, sir. Just realizing something.”

 

Valyes arched a brow but didn’t pry.

 

#

 

Tuilelaith couldn’t sleep; her body too wired from earlier. She was in public and had a panic attack. Aric came to save her but what if another male Cathar had approached her? What would she have done?

 

Plus, the sheets were making her shiver. The sheets being shimmersilk and flowing over her fur in the most sensual way. Tuilelaith held the firm belief that sheets rubbing against one’s fur should not be akin to a lover’s caress.

 

Growling low enough to herself so she didn’t accidentally wake Aric, she threw off the covers and got out of bed. Pacing, she rubbed her arms vigorously; chaffing had a way of making her lose interest in sexual gratification.

 

A wave of intense desire followed by an even more intense feeling of shame almost staggered her, causing her to stumble into a side table.

 

“Shit!” Tuilelaith cursed as she heard the sound of an expensive vase hitting the floor before smashing.

 

“Tuile?” Aric’s voice was full of sleep. “Are you alright?” Fully alert now.

 

“Not really.” Tuilelaith whispered to herself; wanting Aric to comfort her but not wanting him to touch her or approach her.

 

She heard Aric stand up, heard his feet as he padded across the floor to stop five feet away from her. She knew he scented her desire when she heard his breath whoosh out.

 

She stood with her back to him, tense, the tensest she had been with him since Ord Mantell. What would he do?

 

Again, a part of her wanted, needed him to touch her. Another part feared what he would do. A bigger part was ashamed of her feelings.

 

_Please, please, please, please….._

 

She didn’t know what she was begging him to do; touch her or walk away. Which was it? She didn’t know.

 

“Would you like to sleep on the other couch? It’s not as soft as the bed. It probably won’t-,” Aric paused. “Uh, maybe you could sleep on top of the blanket?”

 

He wasn’t touching her; he was suggesting things to do to help her get rid of her sensory overload.

 

Tuilelaith didn’t respond, she stood hugging herself as shame and desire warred within her.

 

“Tuile,” Aric took a step closer, stopping when a combined moan and growl escaped her lips. “Tuile, is there anything I can do?”

 

Aric didn’t know why he was scenting both desire and shame from Tuilelaith. Heat was biological, there was nothing to be ashamed about… then his brain caught up. Of course, she was ashamed of being in Heat because of what the fucker did to her.

 

“Tuile, what can I do? I want to help you.” Aric pleaded with her. He hated seeing her like this. The woman he loved and his best friend torturing herself. “Please, let me help. I’ll do anything.”

 

Tuilelaith looked at him. “I want you to touch me, Aric.”

 

“Are you sure?” Aric read her body language; she did not want to be touched.

 

“I’m tired of feeling ashamed. I’m exhausted, actually.” Turning her eyes to his, she whispered.  “Please, Aric, touch me.”

 

Having made up her mind, Tuilelaith closed the distance between them, taking his hands she placed them on her hips, her arms encircled his neck, her face pressed to his bare chest. She shivered when Aric began moving his thumbs in lazy circles on her hips.

 

“Go slow.” She hummed, her claws extending to scratch the back of his skull.

 

Aric shoved his nose in her mane, closing his eyes and slowly stroking her hips with his thumbs. His thumbs would occasionally encounter her fur as her shirt rode up with each shuddering breath she took.

 

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Her body was shaking, as if she was sobbing silently. Aric didn’t want to hurt her.

 

“It’s what I want.” Tuilelaith moaned. Biting her lip, she plastered herself against him. “Mmf.”

 

Aric’s hand tightened on her hips; his claws extended as Tuilelaith moaned quietly into his collar bone.

 

A few minutes of his stroking her hips and his hands finally moved under her shirt, to caress and scratch her lower back, nails raking across her back slowly. Aric knew he was doing something right when Tuilelaith bit his collarbone, using it to stifle a load groan.

 

“Aric!” She moaned, panting around a mouthful of his fur. “I’m sorry you have to do this.” She was sorry.

 

It had to be exceedingly weird for Aric to feel up his best friend while she was in Heat.

 

Aric barely suppressed a moan of his own. “It’s fine. I asked how I could help.” He swallowed, he really wanted to bite her. “I’m willing to do this.”

 

Tuilelaith didn’t bother stifling the moan that escaped her mouth as Aric’s claws raked up and down her spine. “Take me to bed. I need to lay down.”

 

“Ok.” Aric rasped, lifting Tuilelaith into his arms, clutching her to his chest as he walked the short distance to the bed.

 

Depositing Tuilelaith on the mattress he watched as she crawled under the covers before beckoning him. Carefully, slowly Aric slid under the blankets; the minute he was under the sheets, Tuilelaith was pressed against him, her mouth on his collar bone, her breath on his neck, her claws on his back.

 

Aric ran his nose along the top of her head, a hand fisting in her mane, the other finding its way into her shirt again and working itself higher until it was at her shoulder blades. Tuilelaith wasn’t wearing a bra.

 

“Tuile,” He breathed in her scent, “tell me how much you want me to do so I don’t overstep.”

 

Aric was so sweet. The sweetest man in the entire galaxy. Tuilelaith loved him so much. “Just hold me, pet me, caress me. Please, Aric. I love you.”

 

Aric groaned as her breath whispered past his ear. “I love you too.”

 

He could do what she asked. Of course, he could. He’d do anything for her.

 

Aric ran his nose along her jaw, gasping when he felt her tongue dart out to lick his chin.

 

“Tuile,” he had to asked, “may I bite you?”

 

Tuilelaith mewled as Aric licked her neck. “Yes! Please!”

 

His hand fisted in her mane, pulling her head back, locking eyes. “Are you sure? I want to Claim you as mine, Tuile.”

 

“What?” Tuilelaith searched his face. He wanted to Claim her?

 

“I’m in love with you. I want to date you. I want to court you. I want to marry you. I want to be bound to you in every way possible, but I will and can wait until you’re ready.” Aric confessed. Finally. “I’ll understand if you say no, but that’s how I feel. How I’ve always felt.”

 

Tuilelaith stopped breathing. Aric was in love with her. “Aric Jorgan, if you don’t bite me and Claim me as yours, I will skin you alive.”

 

That was as close as Aric was going to get to a confession from Tuilelaith until he bit her.

 

He pushed her mane out of the way, nuzzling, licking, and sucking on her neck, her claws digging into his skull. “Are you sure?” His breath caused her to shiver.

 

“Yes!” Tuilelaith pressed Aric’s mouth against her neck.

 

Needing no further prompting, Aric bit her, his teeth sinking into the soft skin of her neck, the taste that he recognized as simply Tuilelaith mixed with the coppery tang of blood filled his mouth.

 

Tuilelaith cried out in pleasure as Aric’s teeth sunk into her skin. It felt glorious.

 

Aric sucked, his saliva getting into her bloodstream, his scent and DNA becoming a part of her forever. When she mewled and began caressing his head, Aric pulled back, licking the last vestiges of blood from her fur. Tuilelaith Agrona was his. Forever.

 

“I love you, Aric Jorgan.” Tuilelaith said a stupid grin on her face. “It’s about damn time you Claimed me as yours.” She ran her tongue along his jaw.

 

Aric purred. “I wanted to do that since we were thirteen.” His hand trailed lower to cup her ass.

 

“Same.” Tuilelaith nuzzled his neck. “My turn.”

 

Aric tilted his head, giving her access to his neck.

 

He cried out as her teeth broke his skin, euphoric when she started sucking.

 

When she stopped, they lay gazing at each other, euphoria setting in.

 

“I’ve loved you since we were six.” She smiled as Aric purred when she ran a hand down his cheek. “When you helped me beat the shit out of Bobby Darren.”

 

He kissed her palm. “I’ve loved you since you landed the perfect punch to his nose during that same fight.”

 

They shared a chuckle.

 

“Are you sure you want to be stuck with me?” Tuilelaith asked, a bit of her euphoria wearing off.

 

“Tuile,” Aric cupped her cheek., “I promised on Taris that I’d wait as long as it takes. You let me Claim you. And you’re letting me hold and caress you. If that’s the only physical touch you can stand for the rest of our lives, then I’ll be happy. I’ll adopt Bevin -if you’ll allow it- and we’ll be a family. I’ve always just wanted you. Any way you would have me.”

 

“I don’t deserve you.” Tuilelaith sniffed, cupping Aric’s face.

 

“You deserve all the happiness in the universe, Tuile.” He kissed her wrist. “And I’m going to make sure that happens.”

 

“I love you so much.” Tuilelaith rasped.

 

Aric kissed her forehead. “I love you too.”

 

The rest of the night was filled with almost kisses, tender caresses, hot breath on each other’s faces, quiet moans, noses run along jaw lines, ear licks, chin nibbles, biting, and whispered I love yous. The rest could wait.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The only reason Tuilelaith lets Aric to touch her is b/c she trusts him more than anybody else in the entire galaxy. And have no fear, gentle readers, Aric doesn't do the dumbass thing of saying it was a mistake again.


	16. Chapter 16

Valyes admitted that what she expected when she came to wake up Aric the next morning was something a bit more salacious then finding Aric and Tuilelaith snuggling, fully clothed and fast asleep yet somehow cooing at each other.

 

“Jorgan,” Valyes waited until the man opened his eyes, “request granted. Dorne expects you in an hour.”

 

Aric nodded before stuffing his nose back in Tuilelaith’s mane.

 

Taking somebody home was a massive violation of rules during a mission, but Valyes didn’t really care, she knew Aric would be in the makeshift command center, helping Dorne in an hour.

 

Shaking her head at the novelty of seeing Aric Jorgan cooing and snuggling with something that wasn’t his blaster rifle was almost endearing. Almost.

 

Sighing, Valyes left the room. Cathar, she decided, she needed to research Cathar.

 

#

 

Tuilelaith woke warm and comfortable to the sound of Aric purring.

 

“How long have you been awake and watching me sleep, creeper?” Stretching, purring herself when Aric started scratching her shoulder blades.

 

“Not long.”

 

Tuilelaith smiled. “You have to go to work.” She didn’t want to get up.

 

She was afraid that if she got up, if Aric left then the night before wouldn’t have happened. That it would fade into a bittersweet memory like the night five years ago.

 

“I don’t want to.” Aric hugged her closer. “I want to stay with you.”

 

She captured his hand, bringing it to her face, kissing his fingers. “I understand. I’ll be here when you get back.”

 

Aric’s heart stopped at the look in her eyes. Love, understanding, acceptance. Tuilelaith knew better than anybody else what Aric’s life was like having been in Special Forces in the navy before she retired.

 

“I’ll check by at lunch.” He wished she was comfortable enough for a kiss.

 

Tuilelaith pressed a kiss to his palm. “Go get those bastards.”

 

#

 

Tuilelaith decided that if she ever had an actual house, a real place to call home, she’d get a bed exactly like this. And she knew where she could get it cheap. It paid to have friends in the home goods business. And customs didn’t track beds, not really when other more nefarious illegal goods could be discovered.

 

She’d been ignoring her holo all day, preferring to stay in bed and finish the invoices from the last two planets. Her main job might be the strange commission from Risha but that didn’t mean Tuilelaith stopped delivering goods and supplies; she had several **legal** contracts to deliver medical supplies to the SIS. But an email from Balkar asking her to call him put a damper on her work ethic.

 

“How’s my favorite lady?” The same greeting no matter the situation.

 

“What do you want, Jonas?” Tuilelaith’s words lacked real heat; Balkar needing to talk to her ruined her good mood but didn’t put a damper on her contentment from the night before.

 

Jonas arched an eyebrow at her less than acerbic tone. “Any updates about our friend?”

 

“No, Pollaran hasn’t contacted me yet. Although, I know he will.” She stretched; since when did the military get such soft shirts? Tuilelaith had a hard time not petting herself in this shirt. It was so soft. Maybe it was still a sensory thing? The worst part of her Heat was over -the first night always being the hardest for her- but certain fabrics, scents, and sounds could still send her into sensory orgasm. “Why?”

 

If Jonas thought seeing her in a large clearly noble bed made him curious, he didn’t ask. “He’s been seen in the same area as a Senator. Just wondered if he pulled you into that plot yet.”

 

“Not yet, no.” Tuilelaith wanted caf. This room had caf right?

 

“I don’t need to remind you that you are the one he **_needs_** to be contacted and contracted right?” Jonas arched another eyebrow, practically glaring at her over holo.

 

“Jonas, babe, I’ll get the contract.” Tuilelaith smiled, full of teeth, a warning. “I’ll make sure. You know me.”

 

Jonas flinched. “Point taken.”

 

He and Tuilelaith stared at each other.

 

“Is that all Jonas?” Tuilelaith held up her datapad. “I have invoices to do so the SIS can pay me.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, that’s it. Just one more question,” an evil glint shone out of Jonas’ eyes, “why are you wearing a Havoc Squad shirt?”

 

“Goodbye, Jonas.” Tuilelaith ended the call, tossing her holo to the foot of the bed.

 

Jonas was a great person, but she was not about to tell him her personal life. She wasn’t even sure Jonas knew she was a mother.

 

#

 

Aric walked into the command center, discovering Valyes and Fourex were already gone and Elara tabulating data in the background as she drank her caf.

 

“Your caf is there.” She pointed at a table by another chair.

 

Aric inclined his head in thanks before sitting down and stretching, blanching as he pulled the scabs on his neck.

 

“Would you like kolto for that?” Elara gestured towards the bite mark on Aric’s neck.

 

Aric shook his head. “No, it needs to heal naturally or it doesn’t count.” And now that he and Tuilelaith were official, he wanted everything to count.

 

Elara nodded.

 

He felt as if the medic understood what he meant. It was known that he had spent the night with Tuilelaith, now he had a bite mark. And out of everybody, Elara would be the one to have knowledge about Cathar mating customs.

 

“Congratulations, Aric.” Elara said softly after a while.

 

“Thank you, Elara.” Her words confirmed that the medic did indeed know about Cathar mating rituals.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I recognize how Tuilelaith would be ok with Aric biting her and petting her the night before and not be ok with a kiss on the lips as strange, but she is a rape victim, and each victim decides which types of touches they are ok with, she is currently not ok with kissing, or anything more than petting and scracthing. And that's ok with Aric b/c he's 100% fantastic.


	17. Chapter 17

Elara hadn’t been overly shocked when Aric walked in sporting a nasty looking bite mark. The medic understood Cathar mating rituals, the first man she had ever loved was a Cathar, one of the few in the Imperial military. She often wondered what happened to Hanthor, if he was still in the military.

 

And with the way Aric and Captain Agrona looked at other and talked with each other she knew something like the bite mark would happen eventually.

 

No, she wasn’t surprised.

 

“Where are you going?” Elara checked her chrono; it was lunchtime, but she had ordered in.

 

“To check on Tuile.” Aric scratched his chin with his shoulder. “Make sure she’s doing alright.”

 

Elara furrowed her brow but understood. Aric had several folds of worry. Captain Agrona was in Heat and there were several male Cathar currently in residence of the Organa estate; both Captain Agrona and Aric were newly Claimed, physical affirmation was needed every few hours; and, Captain Agrona, Elara thought, needed comfort from the only place she would accept it due to her past.

 

“Tell her I said hello.” Elara said, keeping her thoughts to herself.

 

“Will do.” With that, Aric left, hurrying back to his room.

 

Elara had no idea how close she was to guessing the reasons Aric wanted, no needed, to check on Tuilelaith. He had to keep her safe from the other male Cathar, and the only way to do that was to make it so Aric’s scent was all over Tuilelaith. A freshly Claimed female could have that overridden if another stronger male happened upon her. It was considered gauche and a huge breach of trust and etiquette by all standards, but it happened sometimes.

 

Scenting another male Cathar, Aric hurried his steps.

 

#

 

Tuilelaith had barricaded the door. Called in Seetwo to keep watch outside for Aric. She was currently curled in on herself hiding behind the couch closest to one of the many windows. This window did not lead out to a balcony but there was only a ten-foot drop to the ground and she could make that if she needed to flee.

 

She wished she was back on her ship and lightyears away from any and all male Cathars that weren’t Aric.

 

Maybe one day she wouldn’t have to worry about it? Maybe when the Claiming took full effect.

 

But not right now.

 

Right now, she was praying to every god she knew of to make sure that any possible male didn’t rage at not being able to get to her and take out Seetwo, she really did love that droid.

 

“Master,” Seetwo’s voice came over her datapad, “Aric is outside the room. He comes bearing lunch.”

 

Releasing a breath, she replied, “Let him in.”

 

There was the sound of the bedroom door whooshing open before whooshing closed again.

 

“Tuile?” Aric couldn’t see her; he could scent she was still in the room though.

 

“Here.” Tuilelaith stood, brushing off imagined dirt from her clothes -this was the cleanest house in the entire galaxy, had to be.

 

“I brought lunch. Sushi.” Aric and Tuilelaith loved sushi. The only thing missing was beer.

 

Tuilelaith perked up, practically running to the small couch, before sitting down and patting the cushion beside her.

 

Aric chuckled, some things changed, some things stayed the same. “It’s sashimi, yours is mostly tuna, mine is mostly salmon.”

 

Aric sat as Tuilelaith pulled the coffee table closer.

 

Her hand was on his back and shoulders as Aric divvied up the food and drinks.

 

“And, tadaa! Food!” Aric rubbed his cheek over the hand she placed on his shoulder.

 

Tuilelaith leaned in, licking his nose.

 

They both ate one-handed, too busy holding hands.

 

“Want some?” Aric proffered a morsel of salmon.

 

“Please.” She smiled, licking her lips.

 

He brought the salmon to her mouth. “Open.”

 

She opened and Aric placed the piece of fish on her tongue. He didn't withdraw his fingers fast enough and she nipped his fingertips, tongue darting out to lick the digits before her mouth closed around the food.

 

She moaned. “Why is salmon so good right now?”

 

Aric quirked a smile. “Want to trade?”

 

“You don’t mind?” Being in Heat tended to change how she tasted and enjoyed the food.

 

“No, as long as I get to feed it to you.” The last time he had fed Tuilelaith was when they were seven and she broke both her arms.

 

“K.” She smiled nervously. “I get to feed you too, though.”

 

“Deal.” Tuilelaith’s fingers touching his food was so erotic to Aric he had to close his eyes for a second.

 

They spent the next twenty minutes feeding each other.

 

“Last piece then I have to get back to work.” Aric didn’t want to leave. Yes, he wanted the Havoc traitors brought to justice, but he also didn’t trust Seetwo or the bedroom’s door if a particularly large overzealous male Cathar wanted Tuilelaith.

 

Tuilelaith opened her mouth wide, waiting for Aric to drop the last piece of salmon on her tongue. His fingers lingered in her mouth for a few seconds, perhaps he knew what she was thinking, after all, they did always have a weird sense of synchronicity. Their gazes locked as Tuilelaith closed her mouth, wrapping her lips around his fingers and sucking, somehow both sucking and nibbling his fingers while chewing the piece of fish in her mouth. When she swallowed, her tongue made sure to press his fingers in what he could only describe erotically.

 

Aric growled, wanting to lean in, knowing he shouldn’t, powerless to stop the want coursing through his veins.

 

“Thanks for lunch.” Tuilelaith kissed and licked his bare wrist before biting the skin over his pulse.

 

Aric whined.

 

“Bite me.” Her hands whipped out lightning fast, grabbing his head and pressing his salivating mouth against the pulse of her neck.

 

That was all the invitation he needed. Growling almost ferally, Aric bit her, teeth breaking the already scabbed skin and sucking as hard as he could, his tongue laving the cut.

 

Tuilelaith growled wantonly, tiny mewls & grunts of pleasure leaving her throat as he continued torturing her neck. Aric’s hands wrapped around her elbows, trailing up and down her bare arms, mimicking the sucking motion he was doing.

 

It wasn’t long before a cry that sounded akin to an orgasm came out of Tuilelaith’s mouth.

 

Both panting, Aric gave her neck one last lick before he leaned back. The shirt he let her borrow had blood soaking into it, but her eyes were worth the possible stain. Happy and glazed with love and passion.

 

“I’ll see you later.” Aric growled nipping at her wrist.

 

Tuilelaith just purred, watching through half-lidded eyes as Aric left the room.

 

#

 

Elara could’ve sworn she caught Ari humming happily to himself a few occasions after lunch. He still did his job, so it wasn’t that he was distracted. He was just humming. The act was strange. The medic began wondering if she was witnessing a Happy Aric and if all the time she spent with him before this was Unhappy Aric.

 

“Jorgan,” She started slowly, “but are you humming?”

 

The humming stopped. “Was I?”

 

Elara decided to drop the subject.

 


	18. Chapter 18

Valyes realized halfway through the day that she missed Jorgan. He was a much better companion than Fourex. It wasn’t that Fourex was a horrible companion. The droid wasn’t for talking and while the droid didn’t have ears per se, it did have sensors that could sense if an enemy was approaching which was nifty.

 

No, Fourex was a wonderful companion. The problem was that it was impossible to hide in the brush with an eight-foot-tall droid.

 

A small mean part of Valyes wanted Captain Agrona to leave so that Valyes could get Aric back.

 

The rest of Valyes’ mind berated her for such a selfish asshole thought. 

 

“Sir!” Fourex never did anything below a bellow; yet another reason Valyes missed Aric. Aric knew how to whisper.

 

“Yes?” Valyes could feel her eye twitching.

 

“Sergeant Jorgan has new information for us and needs us back at the command center immediately!” Fourex boomed.

 

Valyes nodded and headed back towards the speeder stand. Thankful that she was being pulled out of the wilderness.

 

#

 

Tuilelaith ignored her ringing holo. **_He_** was here. She scented him. It was a scent she would never forget. Not in a million years.

 

She sat in the refresher, crying, hands covering her ears, blasters within easy reach, both the room door and the refresher door locked, Seetwo rigged to explode if needed- with the droid’s permission of course.

 

How could he be here? Why was he here?

 

Did he scent her?

 

Would he try and find her?

 

“No, no, no, no, no, no.” A whispered litany, her words echoing off the tile and hurting her ears.

 

#

 

“Good work.” Valyes nodded and smiled at everybody. “We’ll be able to get Gearbox tomorrow.”

 

Aric had found a way to get information out of the Thul noble.

 

“Jorgan,” Valyes approached him, “do you think you’ll be able to help me catch him?”

 

She hoped he would. Also, Gearbox was one of the people that caused his career to take a massive shit, Aric deserved his revenge.

 

Aric cocked his head to the side and thought about it. “I should yeah. Tuile plans on leaving tomorrow morning.” He flashed her a quick smile. “Anyway, night boss, night Dorne.” He waved as he left the room.

 

Valyes frowned and crossed her arms. Her heart twinged every time Aric mentioned Captain Agrona. Strange.

 

#

 

Aric sensed something was wrong the minute he heard a quiet pulsating whine. Why was Seetwo rigged to explode?

 

“Seetwo?” He greeted the droid slowly.

 

Seetwo’s head turned slowly, creaking. “Sergeant Jorgan, my master is eagerly awaiting your arrival.”

 

Aric watched in increasing trepidation as the droid keyed in the unlock code for Aric’s door.

 

“She is currently located in the refresher.” Seetwo intoned, opening the door barely wide enough for Aric to slip in sideways.

 

Aric couldn’t say anything as the minute his body cleared the door, it whooshed shut so fast it caused a breeze.

 

He understood completely the minute he took a good sniff. The room was dark and Tuilelaith wasn’t only panicking but crying and had been crying for hours. The heavy scent of salt hung in the air. He ran to the bathroom, the door unlocking just before he smacked into it.

 

“Tuile!” He slid across the floor on his knees, stopping just short of wrapping her up in his arms.

 

She was curled in on herself, hands over her ears, crying silently, visual proof she had been crying for hours.

 

“Aric?” Tuileliath cried desperately flinging herself at him, her arms wrapping vise-like around his neck, her face tucked against his neck. “He’s here! He’s here.”

 

She cried harder. It didn’t take too long for Aric to figure out who she was talking about. Her rapist.

 

Slowly, Aric bundled her close to him, one hand sliding into her mane, the other petting her back. “I won’t let him get you.”

 

“I know.” She whispered. 

 

He began purring, petting her back while he scratched her scalp, soon she was calm enough that instead of tears there were occasional hiccups.

 

“Aric?” She said after a while, pulling back.

 

“Hmm?” Aric hated seeing her fur caked with salt.

 

“Don’t let him get to me.” She knew she wasn’t thinking rationally.

 

But, how could she? It had been years since she scented him, and he was on Alderaan.

 

But, so was Aric. Aric was here. Aric loved her. Aric Claimed her. Gods but did she wish they could Mate.

 

“I won’t.” Aric kissed the top of her head. “I won’t let him touch you ever again.” Grasping her chin, he forced her to look him in the eye. “I would’ve died that day preventing him from getting you, but I would’ve taken him with me.”

 

Her eyes searched Aric’s face. Trying to imagine the fight between Aric, one of the smaller examples of their species and Ko, one of the largest examples of their species. Ko had the strength and weight but Aric, now that she knew, would’ve had the Mate’s Fury on his side.

 

Gently, she leaned up and pressed her lips to his.

 

“You wouldn’t have died.” She said against his lips before kissing him again.

 

Aric froze. She was kissing him. He didn’t want to deepen the kiss; she wasn’t ready for the type of kissing Aric wanted to participate in. He let her kiss him, his lips pliable, slightly responding but holding back, letting her get as much as she wanted, which was chaste, quick kisses, lips pressed against lips, nothing more.

 

Sighing, Tuilelaith ended the kiss. “Thank you.” She cupped his ears.

 

Aric touched their foreheads together. “It’s at your pace, Tuile.”

 

“Let me brush your fur, please.” She wanted to take care of him. He was constantly taking care of her. She needed to do something for him.

 

Aric purred, nuzzling her nose. “I would love for you to brush me.”

 

She purred.

 

#

 

Valyes lay awake wondering what she was feeling. Did she like Aric? Was she jealous of Tuilelaith for having Aric? Is that what was happening?

 

No. That couldn’t be it. 

 

Could it?

#

 

Aric woke groggily, trying to stop the ringing of the holo.

 

“Hello?” He answered.

 

“Uhhh, is Cap there?” Corso looked decidedly uncomfortable.

 

“Oh, ummm,” Aric turned, finding Tuilelaith absent from the bed, listening he discovered she was in the refresher, “she’s in the refresher.”

 

“Ah.” Corso was looking anywhere but Aric’s naked chest. “Just get her to call me back when she gets out, alright?” He didn’t wait for Aric to answer before Corso’s image blinked out.

 

Aric sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Was the farm boy going to be a problem? Gods, but he hoped not.

 

“Aric?” Her soft voice as the bed dipped under her weight.

 

“Your farm boy called. Wants you to call him back.” Aric handed over her holo.

 

He opened his eyes to see Tuilelaith frown at the object, watched as she pressed the recall button.

 

“Cap,” Corso answered immediately, “we might have a problem.”

 

“What kind of problem?” Tuilelaith lay back in Aric’s arms, sighing as he nuzzled her neck, wrapping himself around her again.

 

“You might need to fight a duel for the clients.” Corso flinched.

 

“Fine. Tell Bowdaar to come to this room tomorrow morning, I’ll fight the duel then we can leave.” Tuilelaith accepted her datapad from Aric since he was the one that reached to grab it from the bedside table. Typing up the instructions she looked at Corso again. “I don’t see why you felt the need to call me at two in the morning when an email would’ve done.”

 

Corso blushed so hard it was visible through the holo. “Uh, well-,”

 

Tuilelaith shook her head. “Don’t care. Follow my instructions. I’m tired. I’m going back to bed.” She ended the call. 

 

She watched as Aric put both her holo and datapad back on the bedside table.

 

“Is two bites enough of a warn off?” She whispered into Aric’s chest.

 

Aric’s hand slipped into her mane. He wasn’t sure. Normally a Claiming bite was followed quickly by Mating sex. But with Tuilelaith, that didn’t happen. 

 

“I could spend the rest of the night biting you loads of times?” He offered half-jokingly.

 

She sat up, hand running down his cheek. “Would you?”

 

His breath stopped by the look in her eyes. Pure carnal need.

 

“Yes.” He sat up, all his feelings heading straight for his groin. “I would bite you as many times as you wanted.”

 

She smiled. “Then bite me. Claim me over and over again until my every scent is you.”

 

He didn’t need any more prompting, his teeth were already aching, begging to sink into her skin, his scent glands producing an overabundance. A hand slid into her mane, another to her lower back, claws out, scratching, he tilted her head to the side, licking and nipping her exposed neck.

 

“You’re sure?” Gods, but he wanted to sink his teeth into her.

 

“Claim me again, Aric.” She bit the tip of his ear.

 

Growling, Aric bit her, sinking his teeth into her flesh.


	19. Chapter 19

Tuilelaith didn’t smell like herself, and all the bite marks on her neck. She couldn’t help but hum happily as Bowdaar escorted her to the duel.

 

She was exhausted, she could only imagine how Aric was feeling. Both of them stayed up for three hours, Aric biting her over and over. Her neck, shoulders, arms, and thighs were covered in bite marks. She was sore but it was glorious. She could no longer distinguish her own scent from Aric’s. 

 

And based off the look of knowing from Bowdaar, neither could the Wookie. If her walking around smelling like a miniature Aric didn’t ward off other males, then nothing would. 

 

Well, her blaster would. She wouldn’t be caught without them again.

 

#

 

Elara had to physically stop herself from rushing over to Aric and forcing kolto on him. His neck was covered, literally covered in bite marks. Angry bite marks, some still bleeding. But he was happy. Humming to himself as he readied himself to go get Gearbox.

 

And, the bite marks didn’t seem to bother him.

 

“Ready?” Valyes, barked.

 

Elara looked at her CO. Her fellow cyborg took one look at Aric’s bite marks and got unreasonably surly. 

 

“Ready, boss.” Aric didn’t seem to notice Valyes’ horrible mood.

 

Elara wondered at it.

 

#

 

Tuilelaith couldn't wait to leave this planet. She hated Alderaan. 

 

Although, she would always have fond memories of the planet as this was where she and Aric finally admitted their feelings and started down the path of a true relationship.

 

“Hey, Cap,” Corso knocked on the cockpit wall. “There’s some guy named Ko wanting to talk to you.”

 

Tuilelaith froze, body seizing up in panic. Fuck. No! Not here!

 

“He’s not on the ship, right?” She growled at Corso.

 

“No.” Corso took an automatic step back. “Seetwo won’t let him and neither will Bowdaar.”

 

Tuilelaith relaxed a little. “Good. Tell him to fuck off.” She stood and headed towards her bedroom. “And get ready to leave.”

 

She hated having to leave on such short notice, but Ko knew she was here. What her ship looked like. Aric would understand.

 

#

 

Gearbox was dead. Three down. Two to go.

 

Aric’s datapad dinged. He pulled it out to see a message from Tuilelaith. The message was short. Her rapist showed up at her ship, so she had to leave, she’d send him a message when she was safely in space. 

 

Aric felt a rage he never felt before consuming him. Her rapist tracked her down to her ship. Tried to invade her personal space? Tried to get to her? Aric didn’t know why the fucker was trying to get to Tuilelaith and he didn’t care. 

 

“Jorgan!” Valyes barked at him.

 

“Boss?” Aric snapped his attention back to the matter at hand.

 

Valyes sighed in annoyance, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Make sure the body is properly transported, will you?”

 

“Sure thing.” Aric felt himself slipping into a half angry half calm state. The work he was doing calmed him but still, in the back of his mind was his anger. 

 

That fucker tried to get to Tuilelaith.

 

Another ding from his datapad had Aric checking his messages. Tuilelaith was back in space. Safe. Safe from her rapist. 


	20. Chapter 20

Three weeks. Three weeks leave and Aric would get to spend every waking second with Tuilelaith.

 

“You headed out, Jorgan?” Valyes called from inside her room.

 

“Yep. We’re going to see a vid.” He and Tuilelaith were going on their first date. Their very first official date. He was trying and failing at not constantly purring.

 

Valyes frowned. “Have a good time. Tell Captain Agrona I said hello.”

 

Aric noted her insincerity but elected to ignore it. “Will do, boss.” He nodded and left the ship.

 

“I’ve been waiting forever!” He turned to see Tuilelaith leaning against the side of the ship. “I like your ship. Sturdy. Fast. Not good for cargo though.” She patted the side of the ship before approaching him.

 

They stared at each other, both sporting stupid smiles.

 

“I missed you.” He held his arms open, she rushed into them.

 

They breathed in each other’s scent. 

 

“I missed you too.” Tuilelaith rubbed her nose along his chest.

 

“Vid time?” Aric asked.

 

“Vid time.” Tuilelaith took a step back.

 

His grin widening, Aric grabbed her hand and began walking out of the spaceport.

 

#

 

Valyes was noisily-angrily- rearranging her bedroom.

 

“Val,” Elara knocked tentatively.

 

Neither woman had anybody to spend leave with, so they wound up spending it alone on the ship.

 

“Yes?” Val angrily shoved her dresser against the wall.

 

“Is there ought I might assist you with?” Elara wanted the noise to stop. Valyes had been rearranging her furniture for five hours now.

 

Valyes stopped and turned baleful eyes to Elara. “What does that mean?”

 

Elara frowned. “You seem unusually angry.”

 

“Yeah, well, Jorgan-,” Valyes gestured violently in the direction of the door.

 

“Ah.” And Elara instantly understood.

 

Aric Jorgan was off being blissfully happy with Captain Agrona and Valyes was stuck in the ship. 

 

“You realize you don’t have feelings for him, yes?” Elara went in full psychology mode.

 

“Really? Because it fucking feels like it.” Valyes blew a strand of hair off her face and sat down.

 

“Really. You’re jealous. But you’re jealous of his relationship. Not covetous of his relationship.” Elara entered the room and sat herself delicately on a random crate.

 

“What?” Valyes pushed her hair away from her face.

 

“You’re jealous that Jorgan reconnected with his childhood sweetheart. When you and your childhood sweetheart don’t even acknowledge each other.” Valyes was a talker when drunk. The medic had learned the very first time she and Valyes has gotten drunk-sometime after Tatooine- that Valyes grew up on Corellia and had a childhood sweetheart named Connor, but Connor joined the Green Jedi and while that part of the Order never left Corellia, they followed every other Jedi tenet. Which meant Connor dumped Valyes hard. 

 

Valyes thought about what Elara told her. The reminder about Connor, how it hurt that not only he dumped her, but he hadn’t even wanted to be her friend. That, Valyes admitted, left her bitter.

 

Elara waited as her CO and friend worked through the revelation.

 

“Holy fuck balls! You’re right!” Valyes flashed the brightest smile Elara had ever seen. “Elara, I could kiss you!”

 

Elara blushed. “That’s unseemly, sir.”

 

Valyes chuckled. “I said I could, not that I would.” She laughed again. “Such a relief. I really didn’t want to be that person.” She flopped back against the wall. “Aric and Captain Agrona deserve all the happiness they can eke out of this miserable existence and I did not want to be the person to ruin it.” 

 

And she could’ve. She could’ve ruined the happiness Aric and Tuilelaith had. Easily. Valyes would like to think she wasn’t that petty of a person, but she knew she was. 

 

“Yes, I thought about waiting for you to figure it out, but I realize that would’ve taken too long.” Elara giggled at Valyes’ frown. “You’re quite dense, Val.”

 

Values chucked a pillow at Elara’s head, the medic caught it and chunked it back. 

 

Soon, an all-out pillow fight was happening, both women laughing like crazy people as they ran about the ship. Poor Fourex didn’t know what was happening and the droid would later describe it as a strange sort of cyborg bonding ritual.

 

#

 

Tuilelaith was nervous. Incredibly nervous. So nervous she honestly wasn’t paying attention to what Aric was talking about. 

 

After the vid they decided to walk along the boulevard, window shopping, before having dinner. 

 

His warm hand clasped firmly but gently in hers. 

 

“Aric.” She stuttered, unsure of herself.

 

“Hmmm?” Aric stopped talking, turning to look at her. “Hey,” he tucked a strand of mane behind an ear, “what’s wrong? Are the people making you nervous? Do you want to go home?”

 

“Yes. But not for the reasons you think.” Tuilelaith bit her bottom lip and looked away.

 

Aric paused. She was hitting her bottom lip. But that meant……

 

His brain froze. 

 

“Are you sure?” He didn’t recognize the sound of his own voice.

 

She nodded. “I want to. We can try.”

 

“That’s good enough for me.” Aric’s voice was strangled.

 

She smiled hesitantly at him. 

 


	21. Chapter 21

“Tuile,” Aric whispered across her lips. They were almost kissing. They were almost doing a lot of things. Aric sitting on her bed, Tuilelaith straddling him, both in their underwear. “Do whatever you feel comfortable doing.”

 

Her tongue darted out to lick his lips, mewling low in her throat, as a hand wrapped around the back of his head and another pet his collarbone. “Aric!” She panted across his lips.

 

This was as far as she had been able to get. So far. 

 

As soon as they had entered her apartment, walked past the small living room into her equally small bedroom, and started stripping she wasn’t sure she could do any more than this. Sure, on Alderaan, they had petted each other, bit each other, but neither had been in their underwear.

 

Tuilelaith didn’t know why she was so trepidatious about hers and Aric’s bare skin touching. Ko only ever ripped the crotch from her pants, their skin never touching except… she shivered, trying to push the memory away.

 

Aric’s grip on her hips tightened momentarily, before it loosened again, him growling comfort at her.

 

Tuilelaith wanted Aric and her to Mate so badly. But she was stuck.

 

Stuck at this. The two of them touching, doing every other form of intimacy but the one that would truly make her his. They hadn’t even really kissed.

 

“I’m so sorry.” She sniffed. She thought she was ready. She hoped she was ready. She wished she was ready.

 

“Rai!” Aric chirped at her. “It’s fine. Look at me.” He tilted her chin up. “You promised you’d try. And you tried.”

 

Tuilelaith started crying. Great fat tears shortly followed by a heartbreaking sob; her head buried in Aric’s neck.

 

Confused, Aric pet her back, making comforting cooing noises at her. “What’s wrong? Tell me, rai.”

 

Tuilelaith hiccupped and sat back. “Rai? I’m your sunshine?” She sniffed harder, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes.

 

“Yeah, you’ve always been my sunshine.” Tuilelaith was always the bright spot of his day. “I didn’t have any sunshine for five years. I just didn’t realize until I saw you again.”

 

Tuilelaith cried harder.

 

“Rai, I don’t know what’s wrong.” He whispered it, thumbs wiping the tears from her face.

 

“Why were you really angry with me? The real reason.” Her eyes searched his face. “You told that a couple months after I disappeared you no longer cared if I did something illegal, but you were so angry at me. Why?”

 

Aric sighed. He knew she would eventually ask him. He just hoped it would take longer so he’d have a more coherent answer.

 

“I wasn’t angry at you because I thought you did something illegal. That’s true.” He fiddled with a bit of her mane. So black, so soft, so beautiful. “I love your mane. I remember the first time I ever noticed the sunlight glinting off it.”

 

She looked at him quizzically.

 

“We were nine and at that fair. You were leaning on a fence pointing out the baby nerfs; the sun came out from behind a cloud and lit up your hair. It shined the prettiest blue I’ve ever seen. Before that moment, I loved you because you were a wonderful person with a beautiful right hook. But in that moment, I realized you were beautiful. And your laugh, golden as your fur.” He twisted a strand around his finger, feeling the softness. “When you left without saying goodbye. When the last time I saw you,” he stopped. “The last time I saw you outside the courtroom, you looked so sick. Your shine was gone. It made me ache inside.”

 

He brought the strand of mane up to his face, pressed it to his nose, breathing her scent. “When I call you my sunshine, I meant it. You lit up my life. Made me happy. All I had to do was see the sun glinting off a black surface and it reminded me of you. But then you left, and my sunshine was gone.” He opened his eyes. “I felt like you had abandoned me.” He let the strand of mane fall back against her neck. “All the sunshine was out of my life. It’s hard to be happy when you’re faced with nothing but grey.”

 

Tuilelaith sniffed harder. “I’m sorry I abandoned you.”

 

“It’s fine. I understand why you did.” And he did. After Taris he had called his mother and gotten more details. “I’m sorry our mothers lied to you.” That had been an unpleasant conversation; the one Aric had with his mother. 

 

“What would you have done if I had told you? Killed him and then run away with me to the Outer Rim?” She scoffed, wiping her hand across her nose.

 

“I’ve heard Dantooine is always looking for settlers.” He shrugged.

 

Tuilelaith looked at him. “You’re serious, aren’t you? You would’ve killed him, and we would’ve fled.”

 

Aric kissed her forehead. “Damn right. Nobody hurts my rai.”

 

She studied him. He was telling the truth. Once again. 

 

“I love you.” She whispered just as she kissed him. Fully kissed him, her tongue darting out, licking along the seam of his lips. “Rai j’enzi, I love you so much.” Nipping at his lips, her tongue pushing into his mouth.

 

Aric’s brain glossed over the fact she called him sunglow. She was kissing him. With tongues. And gripping the back of his head like a lifeline.

 

Growling, a hand delved into her hair, holding her head so he could deepen the kiss. “I love you too, rai.”

 

Aric wasn’t sure if she wanted anything else and he currently didn’t care. She was kissing him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rai: Catherese, sunshine
> 
> Rai j'enzi: Catherese, sunglow
> 
> http://starwars.myrpg.org/coruscant_translator.php


	22. Chapter 22

Aric loved Tuilelaith’s apartment. He adored it. It was homey. All the quilts she handmade, the mismatched dishes and cups, the old copper percolator, the poppy red refrigerator unit, the turquoise oven and stove, the white wood countertops, the large comfy brown couch and blue velvet chair adorning her living room, the yellow wooden table that sat three with its matching yellow wood chairs. It was perfect. Down to the toy bin stuffed in the corner next to a bookshelf. 

 

“Mmmm. Are you making breakfast?” Tuilelaith stretched, entering the kitchen to wrap her arms around his waist, pressing her face against his shoulder blades.

 

“Bacon pancakes.” Aric said over his shoulder, leaning down so she could place a kiss on his cheek.

 

“My favorite.” Tuilelaith pulled down two caf cups before walking over the the spewing percolator.

 

“Seetwo arrived earlier this morning.” Aric jerked his chin to the corner of the living room where the droid had set itself up.

 

Tuilelaith blew on her cup of caf, pouring Aric his. “Did he let himself in?”

 

“No, I let him in. He sent a message to your datapad, but you were so asleep.” He leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose when she placed his cup of caf next to him. “Sent him out for groceries.”

 

Tuilelaith hummed sleepily, taking a seat at her kitchen table.

 

“You have another message on your datapad by the way.” Aric said, taking a sip of caf while he dished up the food.

 

Tuilelaith pulled her datapad over to herself. “Aric, I thought you didn’t know how to cook?”

 

Aric scratched his chin on his shoulder. “I know how to cook bacon pancakes. That’s it, I’m afraid.”

 

She chuckled, taking a tentative bite of food before frowning.

 

“Haven’t improved then?” Aric took his own bite of his food, blanching. “Yep. Haven’t improved.”

 

“Only you could find a way to make bacon pancakes taste like paste, rai j’enzi.” She pushed her plate of food away, unlocking her datapad, as Aric sighed and took the food to the garbage. 

 

“Seetwo, go get us some breakfast from the corner shop, please.” Aric directed the droid.

 

Seetwo bowed before leaving the apartment.

 

“At least your caf isn’t terrible.” Tuilelaith poked him with her foot as he sat back at the table.

 

“I can boil things I guess.” He chuckled. “It’s weird that Seetwo listens to me.”

 

“I programmed him to.” Tuilelaith checked her email. She had three new ones. One from Balkar, one from Corso, and one from Teernan. She skipped over the one from Corso, reading the one from Balkar first -he needed to see her about something, and the one from Teernan second.

 

Aric noticed as a happy smile spread slowly across Tuilelaith’s face.

 

“Good news?” He loved seeing her happy.

 

“Bevin’s school has a holiday and since I’m on Coruscant then I get to spend the next two weeks with her!” Tuilelaith laughed before quickly sobering. “Is that ok? I know we were supposed to spend the next three weeks together but-.”

 

Aric cut her off. “I would love to spend time with you and Bevin if that’s alright. Get to know her.”

 

Tuilelaith squealed, launching herself over the table to tackle Aric to the floor, raining kisses over his face. “That is literally the best idea you’ve ever had!”

 

Aric chuckled. “No, it’s the second.”

 

“What’s the first?” She asked, poking his nose.

 

“Finally getting the balls to tell you I’m in love with you.” He poked her nose back.

 

“Oh, rai j’enzi.” She kissed him, their tongues battling for dominance.

 

All too soon, Aric ended the kiss. “When is she arriving?” Oddly enough, he really was looking forward to spending time with Bevin and getting to know Tuilelaith’s daughter. After all, Aric’s game plan was to eventually marry Tuilelaith, make her his life-mate, and adopt Bevin.

 

“Tomorrow.” Tuilelaith let Aric sit up. “I have to at some point meet with Balkar though.”

 

Aric nodded, hand running through her mane. “We can eat a good breakfast first though, right?”

 

Tuilelaith laughed. “Yes.”

 

She tried to extract herself from his arms to go back to her seat. Aric growled and hugged her closer in his lap, nose buried in her mane.

 

“No leave, only stay.” Aric growled playfully.

 

Tuilelaith giggled. “Are we eating on the floor then?”

 

Aric whuffled her mane. “We’ll cross that bridge when it gets here.”

 

She giggled again.

 

#

 

Aric sat at the cantina under the Senate and read his datapad. He had work emails, the daily newspaper he subscribed to, but the main thing he was looking at was adoption procedures. What he learned is that adoption wasn’t too hard. As long as the child’s parents agreed. And technically, Aric couldn’t adopt his own child. According to all the records involved with Bevin Jorgan, she was his child. He would never understand why Tuilelaith put his name on the birth certerficate but he was glad that he was listed.

 

He never thought he’d get married, actually. Even if he was madly in love with Tuilelaith, he never thought he’d get married or have a family. 

 

He caught Tuilelaith’s eye over his datapad and they smiled at each other.

 

They had a wordless conversation about her meeting with Balkar. It wasn’t going as planned but it wasn’t going horribly either.

 

#

 

Balkar looked between Tuilelaith and Aric.

 

“So, you two an item?” The agent asked.

 

“Yes.” Tuilelaith replied simply.

 

Balkar nodded. It wasn’t any of his business and while he was exceedingly nosy about Tuilelaith’s past, her past didn’t matter for the job. Not really.

 

“So, any news on the whole Risha thing?” He asked instead.

 

Tuilelaith sighed and rolled her eyes. “Risha hired me to go on this weird scavenger hunt so that she could unfreeze her father and get coordinates to an old royal ship so that I could retrieve the Crown of Dubrillion.”

 

Balkar’s eyes widened.

 

“Yeah, my payment was the rest of the crown jewels and she got the crown.” Tuilelaith shrugged.

 

“Risha Drayan is Risha?” Balkar rubbed his chin.

 

“Yep.” She drew out the sounds, making the ‘p’ pop rather loudly.

 

“Does she have any plans?” Balkar didn’t want another shit show fight over a planet like what was happening on Alderaan.

 

Tuilelaith shrugged again. “Not that I am aware of. She’s sorta putting out feelers but she also knows that trying to take back a throne without support is dumb. She’s trying to do it with as little war as possible. She wouldn’t shut up about what was happening on Alderaan and how the Ulgos and everybody trying to gain power went about it the wrong way. And now I know why.” Seriously, Risha’s rants about the civil war on Alderaan was as annoying as Corso’s rants about Risha.

 

Balkar nodded.

 

“You don’t need to ask; I’ll keep you informed about her movements. So far there aren’t any.” Tuilelaith didn’t feel too terrible about spying on Risha. 

 

“Right, so anything new about Pollaran?” Balkar really wanted dirt on that man.

 

Tuilelaith shook her head. “Not as yet. But he’s contacted us here and there with little odd jobs.”

 

Balkar clicked his tongue.

 

“Listen, Jonas, after this Pollaran mission, I’m out.” She never thought she’d utter those words so quickly.

 

Balkar nodded. He always knew that Captain Tuilelaith Agrona would leave the business. She had a child to think about after all.

 

“I’ll still run cargo, but I’m done with the spy business.” She sniffed. “It’s gotten too complicated and dangerous not being official.”

 

“I’ll make sure your ship’s VIN number is changed just in case he’s tracking it.” That was one of the requirements Tuilelaith demanded when she joined the SIS, if Ko ever caught up to her, learned her ship, the SIS would change the VIN number, possibly even buy her a new ship. “We could buy you a new ship. Similar model, but newer.”

 

She thought about, she really did. But, no. She loved her ship. Shaking her head, she turned the offer down. “Thanks, but no. I love my ship.”

 

Balkar rubbed his chin. “Paint job? New VIN number and a paint job. Maybe some cosmetic work.”

 

“That works.” They shook hands.

 

They sat in silence. Tuilelaith wondering what Aric was reading that caused him to frown so much and Balkar fiddling on his datapad.

 

“Alright, switched you over from Agent to Shipper. Comes into effect as soon as the Pollaran thing is done.” Balkar smiled at Tuilelaith’s shocked expression. “You’ve been of great service to the SIS, Leah, we hate to see you go but we understand. Also, what’s your favorite color?”

 

“Marigold.” She was glad Cathar couldn’t blush.

 

Balkar nodded. “Hope you’re alright with a marigold ship.” He winked at her. “A brand-new ship with new VIN number, paint job, and some great new satellites coming up.”

 

Grinning Balkar walked away.

 

Aric approached a surprised Tuilelaith a few minutes later.

 

“Hey, rai, everything alright?” He ran his hand over her mane.

 

“Yeah, my ship is going to be painted marigold.” She looked at him, looking at his marigold eyes.

 

“Well, huh.” Aric said, taking the seat next to her.

 

“Yeah, he asked me what my favorite color was, and I told him marigold.” She tried to imagine a yellow ship flying through space.

 

“Why is that your favorite color?” He always knew marigold was her favorite color, but he never knew why and now he was having a hard time imagining a massive yellow-orange ship flying through space.

 

“Because it’s the same color of your eyes.” She scratched her nose. “And Bevin’s too.”

 

Aric paused. Her favorite color was marigold because it was the same color as his eyes. “Well,” he coughed, scratched his chin on his shoulder, “my favorite color is cerulean blue. Because of your eyes.”

 

He wasn’t looking at her, looking at the entrance to the cantina instead, so he was surprised when he felt Tuilelaith’s lips on his cheek.

 

“You’re such a loser.” She nipped his jaw.

 

“Yeah, well.” He huffed and crossed his arms.

 

“But you’re my loser.” She kissed his cheek again. “Food?”

 

He turned and looked at her expectant face and couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, food.”

 

“Yay!” Tuilelaith hopped off her seat, grabbing Aric’s hand and yanking him out of the cantina.


	23. Chapter 23

Aric wondered if waiting in the spaceport was going to be part of his normal life in the future. Waiting for Tuilelaith, waiting for Bevin. Maybe even waiting for their own kits they would have together. Because Tuilelaith told Aric about the school Bevin attended and he had to admit he’d send his own kids there even with the steep price tag.

 

It taught pre-med to preschoolers, advanced arithmetic and twelve different languages, cybernetics, which is what Bevin was interested in, along with every single type of artform. Bothan schools, Aric thought, it was amazing Bothans didn’t rule the galaxy.

 

His eyes darted to Tuilelaith. If he brought up his observation to her, she’d say some joke about how the Sith Emperor might be a Bothan, nobody knew. And how was Aric sure that the Republic wasn’t run by Bothans?

 

Aric chuckled at his own train of thoughts.

 

“What’s so funny?” Tuilelaith asked, looking up at him.

 

“Just thinking about how Bothans might be running the galaxy.” He noticed when her eyes became calculating.

 

“That does make sense. Their schools are all highly advanced, the most advanced in the Republic. And,” her eyes twinkled, her cheek pressed to his arm, “we don’t know what the Emperor looks like. He could be a Bothan.”

 

Aric grinned. “Now how did I know you’d say that?”

 

“My genius is rubbing off on you.” She grinned back.

 

“Your insanity maybe.”

 

She stuck her tongue out at him.

 

His eyes heated, responding to the heat in her own eyes. 

 

Aric leaned down to kiss her when:

 

“MAMA!” was shouted.

 

Tuilelaith pulled back and turned, giggling as her daughter ran to her.

 

“Bevin!” She hugged her daughter close.

 

Aric felt a smile pull at his lips as he watched mother and child reunite.

 

“Aric Jorgan.”

 

Aric turned his eyes to meet the burning eyes of Tuilelaith’s litter-mate.

 

“Teernan.” He inclined his head.

 

Teernan narrowed her gaze and crossed her arms. Not outright glaring at him but it was close.

 

Aric was struck with how dissimilar Teernan and Tuilelaith looked. Teernan was lithe, svelte, black fur, red eyes, blonde mane. So completely unlike Aric and his litter-mate Alexander, the only way anybody was able to tell the two apart was Alexander liked to keep a beard.

 

“Mama, what is Lieutenant Jorgan doing here?” Bevin’s question had Aric swinging his gaze to meet Tuilelaith’s.

 

“He is going to be spending time with us.” Tuilelaith had her daughter on her hip. “He wants to get to know you. Is that alright?”

 

Bevin studied Aric. He noticed her eyes were the exact same shade as his but the rest of her was Tuilelaith.

 

Tilting her head to the side, Bevin closed one eye, frown marring her little face.

 

“Is he going to be my daddy?” Bevin looked back at Tuilelaith.

 

Tuilelaith and Aric locked eyes.

 

“Yes.” Aric answered.

 

Again, there was silence. Aric could scent complete shock coming from Teernan, embarrassed happiness from Tuilelaith, and a strange consideration from Bevin.

 

“K.” Bevin said after a while. She turned to look at her mom. “Mommy come help me get my stuff. I need your help to get your present.”

 

Tuilelaith kissed Bevin’s forehead. “Ok, baby.” Winking at Aric and sending a look of warning towards Teernan, she walked away.

 

Aric and Teernan stood awkwardly.

 

“You’re going to marry her?” Teernan sounded skeptical.

 

“Yes.” Aric looked at her.

 

Teernan officially glared. “And you’re not going to let your mom talk you out of it?”

 

“No.” It was his turn to glare. 

 

“Oh?” Teernan arched a doubting brow.

 

“Yes. She is my life-mate.” He growled, taking a menacing step towards the smaller woman. He and Teernan had never gotten along. “And if anything takes her away from me, I will tear this galaxy apart to get her back.”

 

Teernan stood her ground but only just. She had never seen this side of Aric Jorgan. This. This was the Aric Jorgan that called their mothers demanding to know why Tuilelaith wasn’t taking his calls. This was the Aric Jorgan that broke the entryway to Teernan and Tuilelaith’s childhood home when their mothers told him some bullshit story.

 

Teernan clicked her tongue. “Alright. I believe you.” 

 

This was the Aric Jorgan that Tuilelaith deserved.

 

They stood there staring at each other.

 

“Why did you believe what our mothers told you?” She had always wanted to know.

 

Aric growled, discontented. “They showed me a very real looking marriage contract between Tuile and some guy named Crorr Ko.” He paused at Teernan’s growl, the look of intense hatred in her eyes. “Said it’d be best if I cut all ties with her because she was marrying a general. And her relationship with me couldn’t continue.”

 

“I always wondered. And you loved her enough to let her go.” Teernan sighed. 

 

Aric hadn’t been lying to Tuilelaith when he said he felt abandoned when she disappeared. But that wasn’t the only reason he felt abandoned.

 

“You know he’s out of prison, right?” Teernan flinched when Aric’s livid gaze snapped to hers.

 

The moment when realization hit Aric like a Hutt. 

 

“Your parents tried to marry her to her rapist?” His voice a menacing whisper, precursor to violence.

 

“She doesn’t know they had the contract drawn up.” Teernan’s eyes darted around, looking for her sister. “He’s out of prison and he’s already been by the house.”

 

Growling a warning, Aric motioned for Teernan to stop talking. “He won’t touch her again. I won’t let him.”

 

This time she did take a step back. This Aric Jorgan was new but Teernan believed him.

 

“Good.” This Aric Jorgan Teernan could like.

 

#

 

“Mama,” Bevin spoke softly, just as they got out of earshot.

 

“Yes, baby?” Tuilelaith looked down to see her daughter staring at her.

 

“Is he really going to be my dad?” 

 

“Is that alright?” It never crossed Tuilelaith’s mind that Bevin might not like Aric.

 

Bevin nodded emphatically. “I like him. He looks at you like Bey’wan looks at Aunt Nan.”

 

“Bey’wan?” Who was Bey’wan? “What do you mean he looks at me like that?”

 

Bevin rolled her eyes dramatically. “Bey’wan, only the guy that’s been trying to get with Aunt Nan for months now.”

 

“Oh, right.” Tuilelaith vaguely tempered Teernan mentioning some guy. “What’s Bey’wan’s last name?”

 

Bevin shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s a Bothan and he’s in the navy. He thinks Aunt Nan is the prettiest and he looks at her like she’s triple chocolate banana cake and says he likes her more.” That happened to be Bevin’s favorite dessert.

 

Tuilelaith giggled. “Wow. And Aric looks at me like that?”

 

Bevin nodded again. “I like him. He smells nice.”

 

Tuilelaith smiled. “He does smell nice.”

 

Pressing a kiss to her daughter’s temple, Tuilelaith continued walking towards her sister’s ship.

 

#

 

Aric watched in trepidation as Tuilelaith approached him holding Bevin’s hand with a massive droid following the pair.

 

“Uh, rai, what's with the droid?” His eyes darting between Tuilelaith’s amused confused gaze, Teernan’s smug expression, and Bevin’s proud mien. 

 

“I made it!” Bevin said, her face beaming.

 

“And you did a fantastic job!” Aric assured her, hand reaching out to pat her head before he realized what he was doing. His hand stopped dumbly just over her head, a look of panic on his features as he sought out Tuilelaith’s gaze but before they could decide anything, Bevin stretched her neck, bumping Aric’s hand with the top of her head, Aric tousled her hair. 

 

“I made it for mama.” Bevin bumped his hand with her head again, indicating for Aric to continue patting her head. 

 

“Why?” Aric smiled down at the little girl, patting her head, reminded of Tuilelaith as a child. Child Tuilelaith enjoyed when Aric patted her head too.

 

“So, she can be safe.” Bevin explained, rolling her eyes. The duh was heavily implied.

 

Aric and Tuilelaith exchanges amused glances.

 

Teernan cleared her throat. “She didn’t machine the droid from scratch, that’s later in the year. The directive was to pick parts and build a droid, design the code, work out the kinks.”

 

Bevin stuck out her tongue. “It counts as making it myself.” She got her usual mulish expression on her face.

 

“Yes, it does baby.” Tuilelaith kissed her daughter’s head again. “Doesn’t it?” She looked at Aric.

 

“Yeah. Your aunt is just jealous because she doesn’t know how to put together a droid even with pictures.” Aric flashed Teernan a mischievous grin. “And coding it?” Aric scoffed. “Forget about it.”

 

Teernan rolled her eyes.

 

Bevin giggled. 

 

“Anyway.” Teernan said dramatically. “I’ll be back to pick her up in two weeks.”

 

“Does she have any homework she has to do?” Tuilelaith passed Bevin off to Aric.

 

The only thing that prevented an extremely shocked Aric from dropping Bevin was the fact that Bevin’s little arms wrapped around his neck with no hesitation, his only recourse was to hold her. 

 

“Yeah, let me explain it to you.” Teernan motioned for her litter-mate to follow her off to the side.

 

Bevin watched as Tuilelaith and Teernan spoke in hushed toons until he felt a small poke to his cheek.

 

“Do you think my mommy is better than banana chocolate cake?” Bevin asked him seriously.

 

“I think your mommy is better than strawberry cheesecake.” At Bevin’s confused face he explained, “That’s my favorite dessert.”

 

“How much is it your favorite dessert?” Bevin glared at him skeptically, the way only a child asking about desserts could.

 

“I’d eat it at every meal if I could. I’d eat it until I got sick.” Aric glanced around before whispering. 

 

Bevin purses her lips, studying. “What does my mom smell like?”

 

Aric paused, he’d never really paid attention to Tuilelaith’s scent. He only knew it was the best scent ever. “Strawberry champagne and marshmallows.”

 

Bevin narrowed her eyes again as she studied him. “I’ll accept that answer.”

 

Aric felt like he’d been interrogated.

 

“Ready to go?” Tuilelaith asked, one hand in Aric’s arm the other in Bevin’s head, smiling at each in turn.

 

“Food?” Bevin asked, perking up.

 

“Yes, food”. Tuilelaith giggled while Aric chuckled.

 

“Bye Aunt Nan!” Bevin called, waving.

 

“Bye Bevy-bun!” Teernan waves back.

 

“Later Nan.” Tuilelaith smiled at her litter-mate.

 

“Later!” Teernan responded. 

 

“Teernan.” Aric still wasn’t sure where he stood with the woman.

 

“Aric.” Teernan smiled at him in an entirely disconcerting way.

 

Tuilelaith looked between her sister and Aric, a question on her face. 

 

“I’ll talk to you about it later.” Aric slowly kissed Tuilelaith’s forehead. “But somebody is being a wiggling worm,” he made a great show of pretending to drop Bevin, “and we should feed her.”

 

“I’m not a worm!” Bevin giggled.

 

“I don’t know,” Tuilelaith winked at her daughter, “you wiggle too much to be a kit. You have to be a worm.”

 

Teernan watched with a smile on her face as her sister, her niece, and Aric Jorgan left the spaceport.

 

“Well, hell.” Teernan mumbled. “I’m glad they both stopped being dumb.”

 

Smirking, Teernan turned around and went back to her ship.


	24. Chapter 24

Aric and Bevin glared at each other.

 

“No.” His voice was firm.

 

“Yes.” Her child’s voice just as firm.

 

“No.” He tried again, more authority lacing his voice.

 

“Yes.” Her voice laced with command.

 

They continued glaring at each other. Aric couldn’t help but think that he was arguing with a miniature version of himself. They both had the same mulish expression, the same posture, the same tone of voice.

 

“I said no Bevin.” His voice broke no argument.

 

“You have to tell me why.” Bevin’s voice reasoned.

 

“You aren’t tall enough.” Aric explained.

 

Bevin frowned, her eyes flicking over to the sign at the entrance of the ride. She deflated. Aric was right. She wasn’t tall enough for the ride.

 

She couldn’t help but sniffle.

 

“It’s ok, Bev.” Aric patted her head. “You’ll be tall enough in no time. If I remember correctly your mom hit her first growth spurt when she was five and she could finally ride the adult rides.”

 

Bevin crossed her arms and sniffled again. “I want my growth spurt now. It’s not fair. I’m the shortest in my class.”

 

Aric rubbed her head in commiseration.

 

“Aww.” Tuilelaith snapped a picture. 

 

Aric and Bevin had identical looks of ‘what the hell’ on their faces.

 

Tuilelaith giggled and snapped another picture.

 

“You two are basically identical.” Her hand joined Aric’s in petting Bevin’s head. “Still not tall enough, baby?”

 

Bevin sniffled again and hugged Tuilelaith’s leg. “Mommy, am I ever going to be tall enough?”

 

“Yes, baby.” Tuilelaith smiled down at her daughter. “You just gotta wait. You’re not a Jawa or an Ugnaught.”

 

Bevin looked up at her mother with renewed confusion. “What’s a Jawa?” She’d seen an Ugnaught, an Ugnaught was her invention instructor.

 

“They’re a race of short people from Tatooine.” Tuilelaith explained. “And you’ll grow. I promise. Next year you’ll be tall enough. I hit my growth spurt when I was five, you know?”

 

Bevin nodded, releasing her mother’s leg and stealing Aric’s and Tuilelaith’s hands to hold, walking between them. “Mmhmm. Papa said that too a few seconds ago.”

 

Aric and Tuilelaith met gazes. Papa? Aric coughed and scratched his chin on his shoulder. Tuilelaith grinned like an idiot.

 

“He’d know.” Tuilelaith winked at Aric. “He was so mad at me for being taller than him for an entire year.”

 

Bevin gasped, looking at Aric for confirmation. “Mama was taller than you Papa?”

 

Aric rolled his eyes. “Yes. And she wouldn’t shut up about it either.” He mock glared at Tuilelaith, she stuck her tongue out at him.

 

“For a whole year?” Bevin looked up at her mother and Aric, noticing the current height difference, her little brow furrowed.

 

“Yeah, for an entire year!” Tuilelaith laughed.

 

Bevin looked at Aric for confirmation again.

 

“Yeah,” he sighed, “for a whole year.”

 

Bevin giggled, squeezing his hand tighter. “But now you’re taller.”

 

“Yeah, now I’m taller.” Aric smiled down at the little girl.

 

Bevin smiled back before a look of wonder crossed her face. “You can carry me on your shoulders! Then I’ll be tall!”

 

Aric and Tuilelaith locked eyes again. “That’s true.”

 

Bevin dropped their hands, wrapping herself around Aric’s leg. “Carry me! On Your shoulders! Please?”

 

Aric looked into her earnest marigold eyes and pleading face and caved. “Alright.”

 

“YAY!” Bevin clapped her hands and bounced around. “Now!” Her little arms lifted so Aric could pick her up.

 

Aric rolled his eyes. This was pure Tuilelaith. Listening to the happy giggles of Bevin and the happy chuckles of Tuilelaith, Aric placed the little girl on his shoulders.

 

“Where to now, your ladyship?” He asked Bevin.

 

“Ladyship?” Bevin asked, glancing down at him.

 

“I am but your noble steed and goeth wherever my lady directs me.” Aric winked at Tuilelaith.

 

“To the zoo!” Bevin caught on quickly, her arm pointing towards the petting zoo, doing a fair impression of a stuck up Alderaanian noble.

 

“As my lady wishes!” Aric trotting towards the zoo, the sound of Tuilelaith’s laughter and her camera taking pictures and Bevin’s giggles making his heart swell.

 

#

 

Tuilelaith watched as Aric was trying to not buy out an entire food stall. Bevin kept pointing out things the child liked or that Tuilelaith liked. And Aric would glance occasionally at Tuilelaith and she had to stop herself from laughing. Yes, Bevin was a little extortionist.

 

“Captain Agrona.”

 

Tuilelaith froze. She knew that voice.

 

“It’s been a while. I tried to get in touch with you on Alderaan but no such luck. But here you are, on Coruscant. Lucky me.” Tuilelaith turned and saw Crorr Ko smiling evilly. That’s the only way she could describe it. “Is that your daughter?” He asked, hinting at something as he looked between Tuilelaith and Bevin.

 

Panicking, Tuilelaith ran to Aric and her daughter.

 

“Aric,” she tried to remain calm, but she couldn’t. “We have to leave. Right this instant.”

 

Aric shoved the cred stick at the proprietor, got the bag of food, and grabbing both Bevin’s and Tuilelaith’s hands, he started leaving the park.

 

Bevin looked up at her mother and kept quiet, she knew something was wrong.

 

“I’m sorry, Bevin,” Tuilelaith hugged her daughter as they reached the taxi stand. “We’ll come back later in the week ok?”

 

Bevin nodded. “It’s alright mommy.” She hugged her mother. “I’m sorry you got frightened.”

 

Tuilelaith and Aric locked gazes over Bevin’s head.

 

“It’s ok, mogget.” Aric patted Bevin’s head. “How about we go rent some vids? We can stay up all night eating all these snacks and watching movies. Including your mother’s all-time favorite.” He was trying to distract Bevin and it was working. Now if only he could distract Tuilelaith.

 

“Oh? What’s mommy’s all-time favorite?” Bevin was distracted by the prospect of staying up and eating snacks.

 

“Dot and the Tauntaun.” Aric said with a smirk.

 

This worked in distracting Tuilelaith. Her eyes flashed and she glared at Aric. But she was also no longer panicking.

 

#

 

Bevin was safely tucked into bed, her arms wrapped around a stuffed gundark Aric had won her earlier in the day. She was sleeping off a sugar coma.

 

Tuilelaith checked on her daughter, placing a glass of water by the bed just in case, kissed Bevin’s forehead before walking into her own bedroom.

 

“He was there.” Tuilelaith climbed into Aric’s lap, rubbing her face against his. “He asked about Bevin.”

 

Aric growled.

 

“I’m frightened, Aric.” Tuilelaith’s forgotten panic was resurfacing.

 

“He won’t touch her. I promise. He won’t touch either of you.” Aric scratched down Tuilelaith’s back.

 

Tuilelaith cupped his cheek. “You still sure you want to sign up for this?”

 

Aric’s hand clenched on her back. “I love you. And I love Bevin. You’re my family.” He kissed Tuilelaith’s forehead. 

 

Trilling in her throat, Tuilelaith kissed Aric hard, her tongue pushing past his lips. Growling low in his throat Aric kissed her back.

 

The kiss was once again ended by Aric. 

 

“I can send an email to Dorne. She read literally every single Republic law book when she defected.” The look of confusion clearing on Tuilelaith’s face as he explained. “She might be able to point us to books about parental rights.”

 

Tuilelaith took a watery breath. 

 

“I do know one thing,” Aric continued, “you putting me down as Bevin’s father and putting my last name on the birth certificate already limits what he can do.”

 

Tuilelaith hiccupped a laugh.

 

“Why did you do that?” Aric had been meaning to ask her that ever since they renewed their friendship.

 

“My lawyer was a Jedi. Told me that no matter what I did, when the kits were born, do not put his name on anything having to do with them.” Tuilelaith pressed herself to Aric. “I really hadn’t thought about what name to give the kits but when the nurse asked me what name to put, I picked Jorgan.”

 

“What happened to the other kits?” Aric rubbed his nose in her mane.

 

“Bevin was the only one that survived.” 

 

Aric purred and hugged her closer. “I’ll email Dorne in the morning.”

 

Tuilelaith sighed. 


	25. Chapter 25

The next day was spent with Aric listening as Tuilelaith and Bevin spent the morning and most of the afternoon with Tuilelaith teaching her daughter how to assemble and disassemble a blaster. Aric was busy keeping up an instant messenger conversation with Elara about Republic adoption laws.

 

“Papa,” Bevin touched his knee.

 

“Yes, mogget?” Aric smiled at the little girl.

 

“Food?” Be smiled up at him, her smile pure Tuilelaith and her eyes his.

 

“What would you and your mother like to eat?”

 

“We want sushi.” Bevin announced, ducking her head and scuffing her feet.

 

“Sushi it is.” Aric announced. “Order in or going out?” He met Tuilelaith’s eyes, with Ko being around which was safer.

 

“Could we go out?” Bevin hated being stuck in the apartment all day, she glanced between her mother and Aric.

 

Aric and Tuilelaith had a wordless conversation. 

 

“Sure, baby.” Standing, she approached Aric and Bevin, placing her hand on Bevin’s head. “We can go to our favorite place.”

 

Bevin bounced on the balls of her feet. “Yay! I’ll go get Grocho!” The child took off running full tilt to her room.

 

“Grocho?” Aric arched a brow at Tuilelaith.

 

“Her stuffed gundark.” She answered.

 

“Ah.”

 

#

 

Tuilelaith listened as Aric read Bevin a bedtime story. Aric was always better at telling a story and she had already captured several discreet photos of an enraptured Bevin and a loving Aric. Tuilelaith didn’t think it was possible, but she was falling more in love with Aric Jorgan.

 

She really wanted to show him.

 

#

 

Sighing, Aric slid into bed next to Tuilelaith, not quite touching her back, laying close enough for her to feel his heat. She didn’t like it when somebody touched her back unless she could see them.

 

“Aric?” She mumbled in her sleep, turning over and snuggling up to him.

 

“Yeah, it’s me rai.” Aric slid a hand into her mane, his other holding the hand she threw across his chest.

 

“Love you.” Tuilelaith sleepily nuzzling his chest before falling back to sleep.

 

Aric grinned. He never would’ve thought that he’d be like this with Tuilelaith. 

 

#

 

Tuilelaith woke slowly, her brain trying to remember a dream she’d been having. A great dream. A really great good dream. It had something to do with Aric.

 

“Aric?” She groggily whispered, nuzzling his chest, looking at the chrono and seeing she’d only been asleep for two hours.

 

“Yeah?” Aric’s just as groggy reply.

 

“Nothing. Never mind.” The dream gone, she kissed his collar bone, rubbing her nose against the part of his jaw she could reach.

 

He purred, rolling over to face her, the arm holding her hand sliding around her waist, pulling her flush against him, his nose nuzzling her mane.

 

“K.” The purr rumbling his chest, his leg sliding against hers, the hand in her mane scratching her scalp.

 

Tuilelaith froze as Aric’s arm around her waist moved to cup her ass then her thigh, throwing her leg over his hips. 

 

“This k?” His whispered against her forehead, his teeth scraping along her skin.

 

Tuilelaith gasped when his tongue darted out to lick her forehead, just as his hand moved her leg higher up his waist. Aric had a hard-on. In all the years Tuilelaith had slept beside Aric he had never once had a hard-on while sleeping. 

 

Or, she reasoned, she hadn’t been awake, and they hadn’t been snuggling like this for her to notice?

 

“Rai?” Aric rasped, his tongue licking the bridge of her nose before he nibbled her brow. “Am I hurting you?”

 

She gasped again as his penis twitched. It felt wonderful. “No!” Her voice all at once breathless and wanting. “You’re not hurting me at all.”

 

His purr rumbled deeper. “Good.” Nuzzling her forehead, teeth scraping her t-zone, the hand on her leg moving to grasp her hip. “I never want to hurt you.”

 

His breathing evened out. He was fully asleep again.

 

Tuilelaith touched his face. “I know.” She kissed his lips and nose. Smiling when his nose wrinkled.

 

Aric Jorgan, even when seventy-five percent asleep he still asks if what he’s doing is making her uncomfortable. 

 

Rearranging herself, ignoring his rock-hard member pressing against her center, Tuilelaith drifted off to sleep, happy and with thoughts swirling about her head.

 

#

 

Aric woke up entangled with Tuilelaith. Not that was strange. Only how they were entangled was strange.

 

They were facing each other, her leg slung across his hips, her arms around his neck, face centimeters from his own, and the strangest part, his hand down her pants cupping an ass cheek.

 

She was so beautiful up close. Aric felt renewed happiness that he finally bagged her.

 

Mumbling in her sleep, Tuilelaith spasmed, pressing her body closer to him, wiggling a bit to get comfortable before stopping.

 

The problem? She wiggled her hips most vigorously and a part of Aric woke up.

 

“Shit!” Aric tried to will his dick back to placidity, but it was not cooperating.

 

Without waking her, he moved his hips away from hers. He didn’t want to freak her out if she woke up feeling his cock rubbing against her. 

 

Tuilelaith mewled in displeasure before scooting closer to him again, the leg around his hips pulling him flush against her. 

 

When she didn’t move again, Aric relaxed. Good, she was incredibly asleep and wouldn’t be aware of his issue, so he had to time to get rid of it.

 

But then she rolled her hips, a small moan escaping her lips and he cursed to himself.

 

“Tuile!” He hissed, hoping to wake her up, the hand on her ass moving to shake her hip.

 

This had the opposite effect of what he wanted. She growled wantonly and rolled her hips again.

 

Aric froze, panicking.

 

“Tuile, rai,” he swallowed thickly, “I kinda need you to wake up.”

 

“Mmmm.” Her hips flexed as she plastered herself against him.

 

“Tuile, please, please, wake up.” He knew this was not her. Conscious Tuilelaith never did this.

 

“Wha?” Her eyelids twitched.

 

“Please, wake up.” He was pleading now.

 

“Rai j’eniz, what’s wrong? Is Bevin ok?” Tuilelaith woke suddenly.

 

“Bevin is fine, I’m sure.” Aric said through gritted teeth; he could feel Tuilelaith’s warm center at the tip of his dick and dear gods he wanted to rub himself on her, grind against her but he couldn’t. Not until she said it was alright.

 

“Then what-” Tuilelaith stopped talking, eyes going wide as her mouth formed an O of surprise.

 

They looked at each other in panic. 

 

“Umm, sorry.” She whispered, shame lacing her voice.

 

“No, it’s alright. It’s my fault.” Aric patted her head awkwardly.

 

Her response was a pained smile.

 

“We just wait for it to go down?” She asked.

 

Aric nodded. “Yeah.”

 

“You do know I want to?” She asked, biting her lip.

 

“Yes. I do know. Your kisses and scent tell me so.” Aric had his eyes squeezed shut. He couldn’t help but scent her or feel her, but he’d be damned if he looked at her while he was like this. She deserved better than to see the lust in his eyes. She was feeling horrible enough.

 

He felt her fingers on his face.

 

“Aric,” her breath huffed across his chin and cheeks, “look at me.”

 

Foolishly, he opened his eyes and looked at her.

 

“Are you willing to let me try something?” Tuilelaith wasn’t sure it would work. She’d felt such shame for five years any time she even thought about anything sexual. But she wanted to try, make an effort.

 

“Anything.” Aric rasped, the look in her eyes just as lust filled as he knew his own were.

 

“Kiss me and let me be in control.” She instructed, tongue darting out to lick his lips.

 

“Gladly.” Aric kissed her, being a passive participant.

 

She was gentle but demanding, her tongue pushing past his lips, invading his mouth and sparring with his own tongue. Tuilelaith’s hands moved to cup the back of his head, her kiss becoming less gentle, more demanding as she controlled his head while they kissed. Aric tentatively licked her teeth and she growled, deepening the kiss.

 

The kiss turned into something that was like the night five years ago, but it wasn’t until the leg around his hips slid to his waist and Tuilelaith rolled her hips that Aric wanted desperately to not be passive.

 

Tuilelaith growled again. “Hold me!”

 

His arms clamped around her, the hand in her mane keeping her head still for his kisses, the hand on her hip moving to cup her ass, pressing her more firmly against him. Her gasp was a welcomed result.

 

“Ngh!” Tuilelaith gasped, rolling her hips again.

 

Breaking the kiss, Tuilelaith locked eyes with Aric as she rolled her hips, her mewls of pleasure as she ground against him increasing his own pleasure. He hadn’t come from dry humping since he was fifteen and his first girlfriend, but he was so close now.

 

“Is this alright?” Her voice throaty.

 

“Yes!” Aric assured her. His eyes crossed due to all the pheromones wafting off her skin. She smelled more heavenly than usual. 

 

It took everything in him not to grind back but she needed to be in control and holy stars it felt wonderful having her slide up and down his length. He felt her juices soaking through her and his sleep pants.

 

Her hands latched onto his shoulders, helping her find purchase so she could roll her hips easier.

 

Aric growled low in his throat, his hands spasming.

 

“Aric!” Tuilelaith whined. “Bite me!”

 

He needed no further prompting, his mouth latched onto her neck, tearing the skin, sinking into her flesh, his canines aching and saliva mixing with her blood, her hips rolling faster, her breath whistling past her teeth, their combined juices making her slide along his length faster. 

 

He scented when she was about to orgasm, positioning his neck so she could bite him, continuing his sucking.

 

Tuilelaith keened, biting down on Aric’s neck, teeth sinking into his skin, canines aching and saliva mixing with his blood as she sucked, rolling her hips purposely and harder than before. He himself, whined out his release as well, messing the inside of his sleep pants and not giving two damns either.

 

Panting, they continued nibbling on each other, bodies still twitching with aftershocks.

 

“I think we just Mated.” Aric kissed her neck and shoulder, any part of her he could reach.

 

“But I thought-,” Tuilelaith felt Aric shake his head.

 

“Mating requires pheromones and a bite that sinks into skin. We had the pheromones.” He nipped at her chin. “And we definitely had the bite.” He stole her lips in a kiss.

 

“Mmmmm, yay!” Tuilelaith rolled her hips again, both of them gasped.

 

“Shower?” Aric asked, rubbing his dick against her center.

 

“Mmmm shower.” She nipped his lips.

 

#

 

Tuilelaith liked to hum while cooking, swaying to the beat of the tune she sang. It had Aric smiling.

 

“Mama?’ Bevin sounded groggy as she padded over to lay her head against Aric’s shoulder.

 

After the horrendous bacon pancakes, Aric wasn’t allowed to cook anything that wasn’t caf.

 

“Yes, baby?” Tuilelaith called over her shoulder, flipping a pancake using the pan and no spatula.

 

Bevin wrinkled her nose, eyes narrowed, brow furrowed, lips pursed as she looked between her mother and Aric. “Why do you two smell like each other?” She finally asked. “Are you Mated now?”

 

Aric choked on the caf he’d been sipping.

 

Tuilelaith dumped the pancake onto a plate and put the pan on an unheated burner before turning and gazing at her child. “Yes.”

 

Bevin had a reaction that Tuilelaith expected but Aric did not. The little girl started hopping around the apartment, clapping her hands and screeching in happiness.

 

“Bevin! Baby!” Tuilelaith laughed. “It’s too early for that kind of noise. Lower it down.”

 

Bevin nodded but continued bouncing in place. “Does this mean he’s officially my dad now?”

 

According to Cathar law, if a couple was Mated then they were as good as married.

 

“Yes. It does.” Aric answered.

 

This started another round of Bevin’s enthusiastic approval.

 

Tuilelaith and Aric exchanged amused glances as they listened to Bevin purposely wake Seetwo and Kaywon up to shout the news at them.

 

Kaywon bowed but Seetwo turned to look at Aric before bowing.

 

“Alright, Bevin, time for breakfast.” Tuilelaith announced placing three plates on the table, all covered in bacon, eggs, and a pancake.

 

Bevin ran to climb into Aric’s lap. “I wanna eat here today!” She looked shyly at Aric. “Is that ok, daddy?”

 

Aric and Tuilelaith exchanged looks again.

 

“Yeah.” His voice was thick with emotion. “That’s fine, baby.”

 

Bevin grinned and started eating Aric’s food.

 

“Bevin, you have your own plate.” Tuilelaith admonished the child, indicating the plate of food in front of Bevin’s chair.

 

Bevin pouted but accepted the plate as her mother passed it to her. “Daddy, you can have my bacon since I already ate yours.”

 

“Thank you.” Aric pressed a kiss to his little girl’s forehead.

 

He and Tuilelaith shared another smile.


	26. Chapter 26

Tuilelaith couldn’t lie, waking up in Aric’s arms every morning since they mated was literally the best feeling in the world. And knowing that Bevin clearly loved the idea of Tuilelaith and Aric being together was literally the best feeling in the galaxy.

 

“Somebody’s thinking deep thoughts.” Aric purred, nibbling Tuilelaith’s ear.

 

“I’m well pleased.” She giggled at Aric’s quiet groan. “Aren’t you well pleased with being my life-mate?”

 

Popping his eyes open, he stared at her, happiness and lust filling his gaze. 

 

“Oh, I’m mostly definitely well pleased.” He growled, kissing Tuilelaith’s lips.

 

Moaning into each other’s mouths, Aric rolled Tuilelaith on top of him. They both quickly discovered she freaked out when somebody was on top of her. 

 

“Your squad mates are going to be here soon!” Tuilelaith gasped, the feeling of his hard member pressed to her center. 

 

He nuzzled her breasts, hands guiding her hips to grind on him slightly. “Kiss me like this then we’ll go fix Bevy some breakfast.”

 

Smiling down at him, Tuilelaith complied. Kissing Aric softly, the kiss full of promise. 

 

“If I wasn’t trying to impress your CO, I wouldn’t feel bad about being late.” Tuilelaith flexed her hips.

 

Aric bit his lip and groaned. “I understand.” He bucked his hips.

 

Letting of a mewl of need, Tuilelaith started rocking against him. “If we hurry.”

 

“We can hurry.” Aric growled, positioning himself so he could grind against her as well.

 

Gasping, Tuilelaith met and locked eyes with Aric as she rode him. Past the love and lust, was understanding. And that was one of the many reasons why she loved him.

 

Breath hitching, she started twirling her hips faster, chasing her orgasm but also making sure he came as well. Based on his change of breathing, she knew he was just as close as her.

 

“Ngh! Aric!” Tuilelaith gasped, body tensing from her orgasm.

 

Aric grunted, his dick pumping out his orgasm in his sleep pants. 

 

Breathing heavy, Tuilelaith collapsed on top of him, his breath tickling her ear.

 

“You clean up while I go get the caf started.” She nibbled his chin.

 

“What about you?” Trilling in his throat, he began petting her back.

 

“I’ll clean up once I get the roast in the oven.” Kissing his lips, Tuilelaith rolled off him. “Bevin isn’t going to be awake for another hour. So, we have time.”

 

Aric hungrily watched Tuilelaith as she peeled off her soaked sleep shorts and underwear before padding bottomless over to a dresser. 

 

He was convinced he was the luckiest man in the universe. He tried not to sigh in disappointment when she slipped a pair of fresh underwear on.

 

Blowing Aric a kiss, Tuilelaith left the room.

 

“I am so fucking lucky.” Aric muttered to himself before heading towards the refresher.

 

#

 

Valyes felt she was being measured and she wasn’t sure if she was found wanting or not. Bevin Jorgan was staring at her the way Aric Jorgan did when Valyes and Aric first met on Ord Mantell. Slightly disappointed but mostly withholding judgement.

 

“You work with my daddy.” Bevin stated finally.

 

“Yes.”

 

“You’re his boss.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Bevin narrowed her gaze and studied Valyes again.

 

Valyes tried not to be nervous. Being the sole focus of a Cathar was unnerving enough, being the sole focus of a kit was worse, the CO of Havoc discovered.

 

“You have to promise you’ll do everything to bring my daddy home safely to mama.” Bevin demanded.

 

“I’ll try.” Valyes couldn’t promise, being a soldier was dangerous.

 

“No.” Bevin shook her head, her black mane coming perilously close to falling out of its bun. “You have to promise that daddy will be returned safely to mama.”

 

“I can’t do that.” Valyes swallowed.

 

Bevin sighed, rolling her eyes, and Valyes could see the hint of Tuilelaith. 

 

“Look, I’m going to level with you.” And Bevin got such an Aric Jorgan look on her face, Valyes blinked in surprise. “Mama is finally happy since daddy is in her life. And I need to make sure that daddy continues to be in her life.”

 

Valyes frowned. “What do you mean?” Was Tuilelaith not happy with Bevin?

 

“Mama is happy she’s my mommy, don’t get me wrong. But she also can’t be with me because of safety reasons. I know that.” Bevin pinched the bridge of her nose -another Aric mannerism. “She needs daddy to be happy because he understands her. I’m a kid, I literally can’t understand mama’s job or point of view. And she needs somebody to worry about her, somebody to take care of her. And I can't because I’m four. Daddy does that.” Bevin gave a very Aric glare in conjunction with a very Tuilelaith hand motion. “So, you need to promise me that daddy will come back safely to my mommy.”

 

Valyes swallowed. For a child of four, Bevin Jorgan was oddly eloquent. Must be that fancy Bothan school the kit went to? Valyes didn’t know but if that school had a four-year-old speaking such grow up thoughts in such a grown up way then if Valyes ever had kids, she’d need to send her kids there.

 

The cyborg studied the tiny Cathar kit. All Tuilelaith except for the eyes and the facial expression. Those were pure Aric.

 

“Alright,” Valyes sighed, resigned. “I hate doing this because being a soldier is unpredictable at best, but I promise with everything in me to make sure that Aric comes back to Tuilelaith mostly whole and all alive.”

 

Bevin studied Valyes for a few seconds longer. “Alright, we have a deal, Lt.” Bevin stuck her tiny hand out for a handshake.

 

Valyes took it, the grown-up and kit shook hands, sealing the deal.

 

“Now, let’s get back to playing princess. I’m trying to broker a deal with a rival nation, and you have to be my military advisor to make sure I don’t accidentally cause a war.” Bevin said, turning towards her play table.

 

“What game are we playing?” Valyes asked, folding herself to sit at the table as well.

 

“Princess.” Bevin flashed a smile and a wink. “All princesses gotta learn how to govern for when they become queen.”

 

Valyes nodded. “Oh, right.”

 

#

 

Shaking his head at his daughter’s antics, chuckling to himself, Aric left the living room and went into the master bedroom, the only room in the small apartment that Bevin understood she couldn’t enter whenever she wanted to. Approaching Tuilelaith on her side instead of from behind Aric reached out a hand to touch her shoulder. Tuilelaith smiled up at him, taking his hand, an action rooted in worry.

 

“Could he order a DNA test?” Tuilelaith asked Elara.

 

Elara tilted her head from side to side.  “He could. Especially since his conviction of his rape of you hinges on the fact that he got you pregnant without your persmission. He could use that as grounds of ordering a DNA test proving paternity.”

 

Tuilelaith sniffled, Aric bent to nuzzle her mane, kissing her head.

 

“But his name isn’t on Bevin’s birth certificate.” Tuilelaith’s voice thick with unshed tears.

 

“True and that would stop most judges. Also, the fact that you’re mated to the father on Bevin’s birth certificate.” Elara smiled shyly at Aric.

 

Aric nodded back.

 

“Would a judge grant him the test?” Tuilelaith whispered.

 

Elara scrunched up her face. “The judge could, yes, especially if he brings up the fact that having a kit with somebody during Heat was akin to a Mating, and thus have Maters rights.”

 

Gasping, Tuilelaith turned her face into Aric’s stomach, silently crying.

 

“How can we prevent that?” Aric asked, trying to comfort his life-mate.

 

“Well, I could test Captain Agrona for mate pheromones. See if there are any that aren’t yours.” Elara suggested.

 

“Do it.” Tuilelaith hiccupped. “Test me.” She looked up at Aric. “I want all the possible DNA tests just in case.”

 

Elara looked towards Aric. 

 

“Please, Dorne.” Aric pleaded.

 

Elara nodded. “As a doctor and there being a requirement for SpecForces to test all family members for possible transplant matches, then I can write it up and have the tests billed to the Senate.” She smirked at Tuilelaith’s and Aric’s raised brows. “I can also, since you two are newly life-mated, have the pheromone test done to make sure that it’s a legal Mating without the ceremony and also have it billed to the Senate. That way, Bevin’s schooling will cost less since the Republic prides itself on taking care of its soldiers' families.” Elara smothered a laugh at the look of shock and awe on the couple’s faces. “I’ve had to research many things while trying to become a citizen of the Republic. I am, also, a doctor, as stated, not just a medic, and can work around dumb rules.”

 

Sobbing, Tuilelaith lunged towards Elara, wrapping the Havoc medic in a bone crushing hug.

 

“Thanks, Elara.” Aric spoke softly, rubbing Tuileliath’s back while she cried on Elara.

 

“It’s no problem, Aric.” Elara smiled up at the man. “It’s what friends do.”

 

#

 

It was, by process of elimination, Aric’s and Valyes’ job to go get drinks for dinner. Tuilelaith had managed to get everything ready but drinks and Valyes and Elara had forgotten on their way to the apartment.

 

“Aric,” Valyes started as they rode the lift down, “are you one hundred percent positive that you are not Bevin’s bio-dad?”

 

“Yes.” Aric blinked at his CO. “It’s impossible for Cathar to get pregnant not in Heat.”

 

Valyes nodded. “Hmmm.” Was all she replied.

 

The two continued their descent in silence.

 

“Why?” Aric asked as the lift reached the bottom floor.

 

“Because I just played four hours of Princess with her and she is you in a cuter package.” Valyes answered.

 

“What do you mean cuter package?” Aric frowned. Had he just been called ugly?

 

“Well, Bevin is adorable. You’re,” Valyes gestured to him, “not. You’re a grumpy, mean man. And she is sweet and adorable and pleasant to be around. I feel like she was you as a child. Before, y’know, you morphed into a boring adult.”

 

The lift doors opened.

 

“I am not a boring adult!” Aric stated.

 

“That’s exactly what a boring adult would say.” Valyes winked at him. “Come on, the food’s almost ready and it smells delicious and I can’t wait to eat it so let’s hurry up and get drinks.”

 

Grumbling silently to himself, Aric stomped after his CO. He wasn’t boring. Or grumpy.

 

#

 

Tuilelaith learned she rather liked Aric’s CO. Valyes was hilarious and prone to teasing the grumpy Cathar almost as much as Tuilelaith was.

 

“Tuile!” Aric whined, pulling Tuilelaith into his lap instead of allowing her to clear the table. “Tell Val I’m not a grumpy or boring.”

 

Tuilelaith and Valyes shared a look.

 

“But, rai j’enzi, you are a grumpy, boring adult.” Tuilelaith poked his nose before sliding off his lap to continue carrying the plates to the kitchen.

 

Growling in frustration, Aric crossed his arms and glared at the women as all four of them -even Bevin- were laughing at him.

 

“Jerks.” He stuck his tongue out at Tuilelaith as she dropped a kiss on his forehead.

 

“Daddy!” Bevin climbed into his lap.

 

“Yes, mogget?” Aric smiled down at his daughter.

 

“Elara is a great doctor and I’m glad she’s gonna be taking care of you.” The kit showed Aric her fingers and her arm, covered in bandages from where Elara drew blood. “She poked me with needles, and it didn’t even hurt.” Bevin’s smile took over her face.

 

“Yeah, Elara knows what she’s doing.” Aric patted the little girl on the head.

 

“Daddy, do you think Elara wants to play Princess with me?” Bevin asked, trying to whisper but failing and glancing over at Elara.

 

“Why don’t you ask her?” He suggested.

 

“K!” Bevin squared her shoulders and turned towards Elara. “Elara, you wanna play Princess with me?”

 

“I would love to!” Elara had grown up with no sisters and her brother only ever wanted to play war games. “What will be my role?”

 

Bevin frowned, screwing up her face as she mentally calculated something. “Well, me and Val already went over the treaty so you can be the other country’s envoy as we hammer out the finer details.”

 

“I would love to be the envoy to make sure that our previously warring nations have the most beneficial of treaties.” Elara stood; surprise written on her face as Bevin grabbed her hand.

 

“Daddy, you gotta be there too!” Bevin announced. 

 

“Why is that?” Aric arched a brow.

 

“Because you gotta play the third country that doesn’t want us to have a treaty so that you can come back later and take over everything.” Bevin rolled her eyes; the duh was implied.

 

“Oh, right. Sorry, your highness.” Aric chuckled, standing up and following Elara and Bevin into the living room.

 

Valyes and Tuilelaith watched with amused looks as Bevin situated both Elara and Aric after explaining their roles in the game.

 

“I’ve never played Princess that way.” Valyes said eventually.

 

“I used to play it a lot as a child. My litter mate and Aric’s litter mate were of course the princess and prince of Teerland and AlexLander respectively, they were constantly warring with each other. Aric and I were always the advisors or the envoys.” Tuilelaith smirked. 

 

“I can’t image Aric as a child.” Valyes responded.

 

“Oh, he was much like Bevin, really. They’re surprisingly similar.” Tuilelaith shrugged. “I recognized how similar they are. It’s odd.”

 

“Yeah, odd.” Valyes was even more anxious to learn the results of the DNA test. Because she had an inkling that Bevin really was Aric’s child. “Wait, were your siblings’ imaginary countries puns based off their names?”

 

Tuilelaith snorted. “Yes. I came up with them. And to this day, Aric is still annoyed that they decided to pick my names instead of his.”

 

“Yep. Sounds like him.” The two women shared a laugh.


	27. Chapter 27

Tuilelaith paced her tiny apartment. Bevin was back at school, Aric was in a meeting with Valyes, Bowdaar and Corso were off doing whatever it was the Wookie talked the human into, and Risha shopping.

 

Only Tuilelaith, Elara, the murder-droid Kaywon that Bevin built for Tuilelaith, and Fourex were in Tuilelaith’s tiny apartment.

 

“Do we really need Fourex?” Tuilelaith asked, her eyes cutting over to Havoc’s own murder-droid.

 

Elara was reading her datapad, glanced between the worried Cathar and the war droid. “Val and Aric requested the droid be on hand.”

 

“Just in case of Ko.” Tuilelaith laughed hysterically.

 

Elara’s smile was pained. “Apologies if it makes you uncomfortable or if it’s high handed but well.” She opened her hands in a futile motion.

 

“No, I understand.” Tuilelaith let out a breath she’d been holding. She understood. She did.

 

Ko had been trying for two weeks now to get at Tuilelaith. Loitering outside her apartment, sending gifts for her and Bevin. Calling her holo. Even talking to the apartment manager to get a key to the apartment. It had been Kaywon that stopped Ko from entering and the apartment manager had been fired.

 

“I shouldn’t be this frightened.” Tuilelaith rubbed her arms. “I am military, Spec Forces trained for the Navy. I am able to take care of myself and Bevin is safely back on Bothawui under protection from both the SIS and the Navy thanks to Teernan. But,” she screeched.

 

“I understand.” Elara was instantly at Tuilelaith’s side, calm hands on her shoulders. “It’s frightening. After all, he’s had five years and now he comes out of the woodwork when you’re trying to build your life with Aric.” The medic hugged Tuilelaith to her side, slowly leading her to the master bedroom. “Take a nap. I’ll wake you when the DNA results come in.”

 

Tuilelaith sighed. “Aric did say he was coming by at lunch, right?”

 

“Yes. He’s bringing sushi with him.”

 

Tuilelaith nodded, letting Elara push her down on the bed. “Thanks, Elara.”

 

“It’s no problem, Tuile.” Elara smiled. “Aric is my friend and I won’t let anything take his happiness away.”

 

#

 

Valyes glanced at Aric as they trudged back to Tuilelaith’s apartment.

 

“Aric,” she started, “what happened between you and Tuile?” It had been bugging her for a while now, since Coruscant.

 

Aric sighed. “Five years ago, Tuile was the CO of an elite Naval squad and we were at a military ball. I’d been in love with her since we were six. We were born on the same day at the exact same time, you know?” He smiled at the memory. “According to our parents, me and Tuile were snuggled up sleeping while Teernan and Alexander were doing tiny newborn boxing with each other.” He glanced down at Valyes’ surprised face. “Cathar believe in community so from the day we’re born we’re placed in our community. Kits born at the same time are put in the same bassinet. From day one, it was me and Tuile. We became best friends at the age of four. And we fell in love at six.” He shrugged. “I tried to kiss her when we were fourteen, but she slipped on the ice.” He chuckled at the memory.

 

“How did you fall in love with her?” Valyes arched an eyebrow.

 

“Her sister was being bullied. Her sister has one of those personalities that’s always trying to be bigger than what she is. You’ve seen Tuile, Teernan is skinnier, finer boned, looks like she’d blow away in a slight breeze. But she talked a big game to these older kids. The older kids took Nan’s doll and Tuile decided she was going to be the one to get it back. Well, I was of course backup. Because even though Nan and I hated each other- more of a professional courtesy really, how can you not hate the twin of your most hated enemy? - I was Tuile’s best friend.”

 

“Alexander.” Valyes smirked. 

 

“Alexander.” Aric pointed a finger in the air. “Xander and Nan hated each other. Always have.”

 

“Since day one.” She laughed at image of a tiny boxy match between Alexander and Teernan.

 

“Mmmhmm.” Aric shook his head. “The problem is Tuile headed early to confront these kids and I was late. Well, the older kids were about to start wailing on her when I showed up, I jumped in and I picked her up and tossed her at the head bully. She landed the perfect punch to his face. She didn’t care that I tossed her. It was just something my brain yelled at me to do.” He smirked. “You should’ve seen the punch; it was perfect and she was graceful as she flew through the air at him. It was then that I fell in love with her. Totally completely, foolishly in love with her.”

 

Valyes laughed. 

 

“The night of the ball, she was wearing a crimson backless dress and she looks radiant in red. And I was drunk enough to make a move.” He frowned. “We were dancing. She got too hot, it’s a problem with Cathar, we overheat quickly due to being covered in fur. Wookies and Bothans have the same issue it’s why our clothes are more revealing because if they weren’t, we’d all die of heat exhaustion at furless people’s parties. I took her out to a balcony, and we were flirting. I kissed the top of her head as we hugged, she said there were better places to kiss than her head. When I asked where a better place was, she smirked and said not her shoulder. I said I could make her like having her shoulder kissed. She called my bluff. And, well, I made her like having her shoulder kissed.” He coughed and looked away. “We kissed then we went back to my hotel room because hers was occupied by her XO having an orgy.”

 

Valyes choked at the mention of an orgy. “An orgy?”

 

Aric nodded. “Yeah. Torres was a weird guy. I heard a couple of years ago that he retired from active duty, taking up a teaching position at flight school to teach the newest pilots all the techniques Tuile came up with during their time together.”

 

They walked in silence after that.

 

“I fucked up though. The next morning, I failed to tell her that I was in love with her. I opted to tell her over the weekend after we went ice skating.” He growled in remembrance. “I keep thinking that if I had told her, if we had Claimed each other, Mated, then that bastard wouldn’t have been able to get her. The military has allowances for freshly Mated pairs.” He kicked a random rock. “But we didn’t, and he got to her and she felt like she couldn’t tell me.”

 

Valyes didn’t say anything. What could she say? Sorry? Reiterate that Ko is a bastard? “You were both young.” That was inadequate.

 

Aric shrugged. “Then our moms got together and decided the best course of action was to lie to me. Tell me that Tuile was getting married to somebody else. I learned recently they tried to marry Tuile to her rapist the minute they found out she was pregnant.”

 

Valyes growled. “What?” She was both offended and livid on Tuilelaith’s behalf.

 

Aric jerked his chin once. “She pressed charges against Ko because she was in Heat. She filed all the proper paperwork, made sure she wasn’t around species that responded to Cathar in Heat. He bribed a guard to get to her. It opened a massive shitstorm.”

 

Valyes gasped. She remembered reading about that trial. The disgrace, the list of all involved. All but the whistle-blower. “Tuile was the whistle-blower?”

 

He nodded. “She didn’t mean to. But the defense of Ko hinged on the fact that she was in heat and thus receptive of his rape. That part of the trial lasted for months.”

 

They walked in silence again. A few more blocks, closer to Tuilelaith before Aric spoke again.

 

“I won’t leave her again. I won’t let her shut me out again either. I should’ve confronted her during the trial. I should’ve,” he cut off with a repressed yowl of rage. 

 

“Aric,” Valyes gently touched his shoulder, a silent communication of support, “you’re here now. You two are together. Mated and you have Bevin. Which could be your child. Don’t shake your head at me Lieutenant, Bevin Jorgan is almost exactly like you.”

 

Aric scoffed. “Whatever.”

 

Valyes nodded, her lips pursing. “Did you know, that upon meeting me she looked at me the exact same way you looked at me when we met on Ord Mantell?”

 

“And how was that?” Aric looked towards the sky.

 

“With mild disapproval.” She morphed her face into a furrowed brow with her lips turned down. “Exactly like this.” Her face became exaggerated.

 

Aric rolled his eyes. “I’m sure she did.” He didn’t believe Valyes for a second.

 

Valyes laughed. But she had been able to cheer the grumpy man up.

 

“Do you think Dorne put the kettle on?” Valyes tried to imitate Elara’s voice.

 

Aric snorted. “Probably, she thinks every issue can be solved with copious amounts of tea.”

 

Valyes’ laughter renewed, her arm slug around Aric’s shoulders as they continued to Tuilelaith’s apartment.

 

#        

 

“Tuile.”

 

Tuileliath mumbled, swatting the hand away from her face.

 

“Tuile.”

 

Groggily, she opened her eyes to see Aric leaning over her. “What?”

 

“I brought caf.” He held out a cup of caf. “Dorne said she told you to nap. And that she dosed you with a sedative.”

 

Tuilelaith huffed, sitting up. “Of course, she did.” Accepting the cup of caf, she kissed his cheek. “How long was I out?”

 

“Five hours according to her. You missed dinner.” He said quietly. Claws scratching Tuilelaith’s back he watched as she sighed drinking her caf. “The DNA results came in about an hour ago. We’ve been waiting for you to wake up. Elara said that the sedative would be running out around this time, so I went and got you caf.”

 

Tuilelaith purred at him, her hand stroking his cheek. “Give me a few minutes to freshen up then I’ll be out to fix dinner.”

 

Aric kissed her palm. “We ordered curry. It is also here and waiting for you to eat it.”

 

“What kind of curry?” Tuilelaith was particular about her curry.

 

“Twi’lek curry.”

 

Tuilelaith purred, leaning forward to kiss Aric on the lips “Thank you for ordering it.” She and Bevin had to be some of the few people that weren’t Twi’leks or Mandalorians that loved Twi’lek curry.

 

“I do enjoy it some. Just not at the spice levels you enjoy.” He grumbled. “Elara also loves Twi’lek curry and Val was happy to try something new. Although, I don’t think she likes the spice at all since she started sweating. Elara teased her about that. Saying if it’s not making you sweat then it’s not hot enough.”

 

Tuilelaith giggled. “Your medic is right, you know.”

 

Aric rolled his eyes. “I’ll tell them you’ll be out in a minute.” Kissing her temple, he made to grab her caf.

 

Tuilelaith growled and clutched the caf to her chest. “The cup stays with me, Jorgan.”

 

Laughing, Aric stood. “Fine. It stays with you. Don’t leave it in the refresher like last time.”

 

Her response was to stick her tongue out at him.


	28. Chapter 28

Tuilelaith entered the living room of her apartment to see Valyes and Elara arm wrestling, Aric being the referee.

 

“What prompted this?” Tuilelaith asked as she heaped a plate with curry and poured another cup of caf.

 

“Dorne said that she had stronger arm muscles from being forced to lift bodies all day and Val only hefts a rifle.” Aric smiled at his mate. “Val says that she works out more than Elara, so she clearly has the stronger arms.”

 

“And whose arms are stronger?” Tuilelaith asked, sitting in Aric’s lap.

 

“So far, it’s a tie. Elara has won two matches; Val has won two matches. This match is the tiebreaker.” Aric spoke in a stage-whisper, his chin on Tuilelaith’s shoulder, his arms around her waist.

 

Tuilelaith stuffed naan* bread into her mouth, nodding, watching as neither Valyes nor Elara got the upper hand. She snorted at her own pun.

 

Aric smirked at her, as if he knew what she thought. He probably did.

 

Finally, after many minutes of the two Havoc women trying to outdo the other, Valyes sighed.

 

“Dorne, it’s a tie.” She dropped her hand. 

 

Elara nodded. “Indeed, it is, sir.”

 

Tuilelaith and Aric chuckled silently.

 

“Don’t both of you sound so disappointed.” Tuilelaith stood, to carry her plate to the kitchen, Aric’s arms around her waist stopped her.

 

“Seetwo, could you take her plate to the kitchen, please.” Aric called out; his face pressed to Tuilelaith’s neck. He was anxious.

 

The distraction of Valyes and Elara arm wrestling was gone.

 

Tuilelaith stroked Aric’s shoulders, her own way of coping with the sudden tension as Seetwo bustled about the kitchen, cleaning up the mess.

 

“So.” Valyes smiled apologetically. “The honors, Dorne.”

 

Elara nodded, bringing out her datapad. “We sent off several tests to the labs. Mating pheromones, DNA of Bevin, testing for organ donation and blood transfusions.” She noticed Valyes’ glare. “Right, the results.” The medic cleared her throat. “First bit of good news, Captain Agrona shows no sign of any other male’s mating pheromones in her bloodstream. Every trace of pheromone belongs to Aric Jorgan.” She looked up from her datapad at the gasps of joy from Tuilelaith and Aric.

 

“What about the DNA?” Aric’s voice was strangled.

 

Elara gulped, seeing Aric’s marigold eyes and Tuilelaith’s cerulean eyes boring into her.

 

“The biological father of Bevin Jorgan is.” Elara went through her datapad, she hadn’t looked at the results because she felt it unfair to Aric and Tuilelaith. She gasped, eyes shining with tears upon seeing the results.

 

“Elara?” Tuilelaith clutched at Aric, nervous, frightened at the results.

 

Elara looked up, tears rolling down her cheeks. “The biological father of Bevin Jorgan is Aric Jorgan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> was this reveal really a surprise? i mean, was it?
> 
> naan bread - it's a flat bread that you eat with curry and it's delicious. I know that naan is Indian and Twi'leks are technically French (since Lucas said that the Twi'lek language is supposed to sound like French) but I literally could not think of any other bread for curry other than naan bread. apologies


	29. Chapter 29

Tuilelaith couldn’t believe it. It shouldn’t have been possible. Aric was Bevin’s biological father. “That’s not possible.” She shook her head. “Cathar can’t get pregnant out of Heat. Aric tell her. The results are wrong.” A sob broke from her throat.

 

Aric rubbed her arms, glaring at Elara. “Tuile’s right, it’s not possible.” He growled, eyes flashing. 

 

Valyes also glared at Elara. “Dorne, explain.”

 

Elara took a deep breath. “You told me you two copulated one day before her Heat started yes?”

 

Aric nodded, purring at Tuilelaith, forcing her head to his shoulder, her face neck. “That is correct. We were supposed to go on a date after her Heat ended.”

 

“When a female goes in Heat, her body spends a few days to get ready. Making sure the uterus and egg are ready for possible DNA deposits. I think because she was so close when copulation happened her body accepted the DNA deposit early resulting in a pregnancy.” Elara answered. “It’s rather like a human female becoming pregnant outside of ovulation. It’s rare but it does happen.”

 

“Is that why it was a difficult pregnancy?” Tuilelaith’s voice was muffled by Aric’s neck.

 

“Yes. The egg accepted an earlier DNA deposit, but your body didn’t.”

 

“Is that why only Bevin survived?” Tuilelaith lifted her head, staring through tear filled eyes at the red-headed cyborg.

 

“Yes. I could give a longer medical explanation if you’d like.” The medic looked between Tuilelaith and Aric.

 

Aric and Tuilelaith looked at each other, having a wordless conversation. It ended with Aric pressing their foreheads together, his hands cupping her cheeks.

 

“No, that’s alright, Dorne.” He said. “We’d like to be alone.”

 

“Of course.” Valyes stood, yanking Elara with her. “I’ll contact you if anything changes about our leave, Aric. You and Tuilelaith have a good night.”

 

Aric and Tuilelaith heard it when the apartment door snicked shut behind the two women of Havoc Squad.

 

“Tuile,” he whispered, “what do you want right now?”

 

“I want you to hold me in bed, please.” She sounded close to tears again.

 

“Alright.” Aric pressed a kiss to her forehead before standing, her held in his arms. “Seetwo, Kaywon, please make sure everything is safe and taken care of.”

 

Kaywon beeped in affirmation. Seetwo whirred it.

 

#

 

Tuilelaith cried herself to sleep, her tears a mixture of relief, disbelief, and joy. Aric was Bevin’s father.

 

Aric lay awake listening to her breath and murmur in her sleep, smiling despite himself. Tuilelaith still talked in her sleep.

 

And he was Bevin’s biological father. It was a shock, but a welcome one.

 

Elara would never lie. Not about something so important. 

 

But the realization that he was Bevin’s biological father also brought that knowledge that Bevin’s littermates died. 

 

Anger welled inside him.

 

If only his mother hadn’t agreed to the cruel plan Tuilelaith’s parents concocted.

 

The timing. Aric was looking for Tuilelaith while she was on some faraway planet under the care of Jedi having already broken ties with all family but her sister.

 

If only Aric been able to get to Tuilelaith. If only he tried harder, pressed his mother for more information instead of giving up.

 

“Aric?” Tuilelaith’s sleepy voice question.

 

“Go back to sleep.” His teeth scraped across her forehead. “You’ve had a trying day.”

 

“You’re angry. I can smell it.” Exhausted eyes gazed at him. “Why?”

 

“You were alone, having a difficult pregnancy with my kits while our parents were blocking me from getting to you. I can’t help but blame myself. If you weren’t alone.” He stopped, taking in her scent to calm himself.

 

She chirped at him. “You’re here now.” A kiss along his jaw, a hand delicately tracing his neck. “You’re here with me now.”

 

Groaning, Aric pulled her in for a kiss. The kiss needy, sloppy, filled with so much, so many emotions.

 

“Tuile,” He didn’t know how to voice what he wanted. He only wanted.

 

Gazing deep into his eyes, Tuilelaith sat up, undressing.

 

“Tuile?” He sat up as well, watching with curious hungry eyes as she slowly revealed her perfect, curvaious, slightly chubby body.

 

“Aric,” her eyes glowed in the darkness of the room, her hands taking her underwear off, he felt his mouth go dry, “love me.” She kissed him.

 

Moaning, panting, his hands in her mane on her neck, “Are you sure?”

 

“I’ve never been more sure of anything.” Tuilelaith kissed him reverently. “Make love to me, Aric.”

 

The luminesce in her eyes, the passion and love shining from them decided him. Yanking her back in for another kiss, he began undressing, her hands helping him. Instead of breaking her drug like kisses, Aric merely tore his shirt off.

 

They knelt on the bed, kissing, naked bodies touching, hands exploring.

 

“I love you!” Aric uttered fervently.

 

“I love you, too!” Tuilelaith kissed him again, pulling him with her as she lay on her back in the center of the bed.

 

“Tuile?” He gazed down at her.

 

They never did this. She hated being on bottom. 

 

“I trust you, Aric.” She whispered across his lips. “You’d never hurt me.”

 

Groaning, he kissed her, whimpering when her legs wrapped around his waist, feeling her heat close to his dick.

 

“Make love to me, Aric, please.” Tuilelaith cupped his face, regarding him with such love and trust.

 

Chirping, Aric slid into her. Kissing her face, her neck, any part of her he could reach at her cry.

 

“I love you.” He panted, stroking her face. 

 

She felt just as fantastic as he remembered. So tight, hot, wet, perfect. She felt perfect.

 

“I love you, too.” She arched into him, kissing him again.

 

Slowly, he began moving, Tuilelaith meeting him as they made love.


	30. Chapter 30

Tuilelaith studied herself in the mirror. It was her wedding day.

 

Something she never thought would happen. But here it was.

 

Her hair was styled in a messy bun, her dress tight across her bodice before falling in pleats from an empire waist. The dress wasn’t traditional, but the colors were.

 

Cobalt blue with gold accents. Made from the finest silk.

 

She knew Aric’s tuxedo was also cobalt blue with gold accents, made from the finest silk.

 

Flutterplumes dive-bombed each other in her stomach. She was so nervous. But she was marrying Aric.

 

Bevin couldn’t be present since she was already back in school. Teernan was also absent.

 

But Tuilelaith and Aric’s crew were present.

 

As well as a representative of the Cathar Elders.

 

She really hoped the Elder agreed her Life-mate Ceremony was legal. That she and Aric were officially Lifemates.

 

#

 

Tuilelaith and Aric held hands, sitting patiently in front of the Elder as she reviewed the evidence Elara compiled. Bevin’s true parentage, the presence of only Aric’s pheromones in Tuilelaith’s blood, the presence of only Tuilelaith’s pheromones in Aric’s. 

 

“Hmmm.” The Elder frowned, eyes narrowed at Bevin’s birth certificate.

 

Tuilelaith felt Aric squeeze her hand.

 

The Elder had to make sure the Mating was legal before the ceremony could continue. 

 

“You two were born on the same day, grew up together, had a child together, and are only now wanting to get Mated?” The Elder arched a brow.

 

“Yes, Elder.” Tuilelaith spoke demurely.

 

“Yes, Elder.” Even Aric was respectful.

 

The Elder’s frown deepened. “The child is four.”

 

“I would have Mated her sooner, but a misunderstanding-” Aric started.

 

“Yes, the trial for extortion and rape.” The Elder sighed, finger tapping the podium while looking between Tuilelaith and Aric once more. “Well, it’s all legal from what I’m seeing. A bit late for my tastes, but well,” the Elder shrugged, “with age comes wisdom and realizations.”

 

Tuilelaith glanced at Aric, hope shining in her eyes.

 

“We can get Mated?” Aric asked.

 

“Sure can.” The Elder handed the various flimsies and datapad to Elara. “Let’s begin.”

 

Tuilelaith and Aric grinned at each other, taking their positions in front of the Elder.

 

#

 

Elara discreetly passed Valyes a handkerchief. Valyes gratefully accepted it, dabbing her eyes as she watched Aric get married.

 

The ceremony was in Catherese. She didn’t understand a word of it, but it was beautiful. Tuilelaith and Aric were so happy, and they couldn’t stop grinning at each other, gazing deeply into each other’s eyes as they repeated the Elder’s words.

 

Elara sniffed; lucky she could no longer cry but wishing that she could. Watching two people that loved each other so much getting married was beautiful. Elara wasn’t sure there was anything more beautiful.

 

#

 

Aric growled, yanking Tuilelaith’s face to his, kissing her with everything he had. They were Life-mates. It was official.

 

They were married.

 

Tuilelaith purred, her arms snaking around his neck as he deepened the kiss.

 

It wasn’t until the Elder coughed that Tuilelaith and Aric broke apart, too happy to be embarrassed or to care.

 

“I love you.” Aric whispered, stroking her face.

 

“I love you too.” Tuilelaith nipped at his fingers.


	31. Chapter 31

Jonas looked down at his datapad before looking back at Tuilelaith. “You’re married?”

 

“Yep.” Tuilelaith popped the ‘p’.

 

“To Aric Jorgan.”

 

“Uhuh.”

 

Jonas looked back at the datapad. It was legal. There was no rule against SIS agents marrying SpecForce soldiers. And, Tuilelaith was retiring after she finished this last mission with Pollaran.

 

Jonas clicked his tongue. “Very well, Tuilelaith Jorgan.” He typed a few things on his datapad before reaching across the table to offer his hand in congratulations. “Congratulations on your nuptials.”

 

“Thanks, Balkar.” Tuilelaith shook his hand briefly, a smile playing across her lips.

 

#

 

Aric stood at attention and waited as Garza finished glaring at him.

 

“You realize SpecForces requires a month’s notice in advance for any marriage?” Garza asked.

 

“Yes, General.” He knew. He didn’t care. He wanted to marry Tuilelaith as quickly as possible.

 

Garza rolled her eyes. But, well, she and her own husband didn’t give the proper notification either. “Congratulations on your marriage, Lieutenant Jorgan.” 

 

“Thank you, General.” Aric saluted.

 

Garza shook her head, shoving her hand at the Cathar.

 

Aric hesitantly took it and he shook hands with her.

 

“Now, go enjoy your honeymoon. Stars knows how long it’s going to last.” Garza dropped his hand and turned back to her terminal.

 

“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. I will, sir.” Aric saluted again and left.

 


End file.
